NEWTOWN, Conn. — This weekend, mass shootings in Dadeville, Alabama and Louisville, Kentucky killed six people and injured another 32 people – including at least 15 teens. According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of day 107 in 2023, there have been more than 160 mass shootings.
In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Our hearts break for the families and loved ones of the victims and survivors in the latest tragedies in Dadeville, Alabama and Louisville, Kentucky. We are also angry that gun violence continues to spiral out of control.
“Mass shootings have become routine in our country. This weekend, half-a-dozen people were murdered and, on Monday, it’s back to business as usual. As a nation, we barely take notice even though we are in the midst of the deadliest epidemic ever, the gun violence epidemic.
“Public officials and the media must address gun violence with the same approach as other public health epidemics. Our public officials must implement policies that support communities while also addressing the national barriers to ending gun violence. Media coverage must put mass shootings and gun violence in context and inform audiences of measures we can take to stop the epidemic.
“We know how to stop mass shootings. Undisputed research proves that gun violence is preventable when we know the warning signs and take action to get help. Simple policy actions like background checks for all gun sales, secure storage, magazine capacity limits, and temporary transfer of firearms are proven to save lives and are remedies that state and federal legislators can and must pass immediately. We are continually outraged by the refusal of public officials to pass and implement these life-saving policies.
“We must honor every victim by taking action to help end gun violence. We must use our voices to demand that America treat its most deadly epidemic — gun violence — now.”
###
The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to protecting all children from gun violence in schools, homes, and communities. The SHP Action Fund advances a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization. It is part of Sandy Hook Promise, founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646-761-5579