NEWTOWN, Conn. — Yesterday, four people were killed in a mass shooting at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This shooting comes on the heels of the Robb Elementary School tragedy last week and the mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket on May 14, 2022. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. is averaging at least one mass shooting per day; more than 200 so far this year.
In response to the latest tragedy, Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Buffalo. Uvalde. Tulsa. The list goes on and on. Each time there is a mass shooting, our country expresses sympathy, grief and outrage. Then we move on until the next mass shooting — knowing full well that there will be another tragedy — whether at a supermarket, elementary school or hospital. This tragic pattern makes it easy to think that gun violence is inevitable. But in fact, gun violence is preventable.
“We must move beyond collective outrage and take action. Learn the warning signs of potential violence and get help. Demand Congress do more right now to protect our communities. Simple actions like background checks for all gun sales and extreme risk protection orders are proven to save lives and are waiting for legislators to pass now.
“Our hearts are heavy for the families and friends of the victims of this latest mass shooting. Hospitals — where we seek healing and care — now join the long and growing list of hunting grounds for mass shooters, along with grocery stores, churches, concerts and our children’s schools.
“With hearts still heavy with the overwhelming pain of last week’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, we now grieve for the victims in Tulsa and their families. From my own experience, I know that the best way to honor the victims of gun violence is to take action to spare other families this horrific pain. Please join me in taking and demanding action until mass shootings no longer plague our nation.”
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646.761.5579