A domestic dispute in Des Moines, Iowa, has left six dead. The shooter, a 42-year-old man, turned the gun on himself after killing his partner and four others. The incident reignites debate on gun control in the US.
But here in Whitehall, the focus is different. Officials are quietly studying the UK's policing model for domestic violence. Our system of Clare's Law and Domestic Violence Protection Orders is being examined by US lawmakers.
A Home Office source tells me: 'They want our toolkit.' The statistics are grim. The US sees an average of 70 mass shootings a year.
The UK has had none since 2010. But we have our own battles. Domestic abuse killings in England and Wales rose 10% last year.
The Met's new Domestic Abuse Command is still finding its feet. Iowa's tragedy will be mined for lessons. But the real question is political.
Can Westminster export its prevention model without the gun control baggage? Labour wants a new Firearms Bill. The Home Secretary is cautious.
'We can't lecture the Americans,' a Number 10 aide said. 'But we can sell them solutions.' The next few weeks will see a flurry of memos.
Expect Philip Rutnam's team to produce a report on 'UK Best Practice' by autumn. The Tories are nervous about looking too 'nanny state'. But the polling on domestic violence is clear: the public wants action.
Iowa's six dead will not be forgotten. The game is now about who gets to claim the cure.
