Newtown, CT — Today, President Trump held a press conference to address the wave of mass shootings across the country in the past week. The President called for condemning hate with “unity, devotion, and love” and creating a safer America through “Red Flag Laws” (aka Extreme Risk Protection Orders) that temporarily separate at risk individuals from firearms , and continued funding of the STOP School Violence Act. There was no televised mention of universal background checks that he tweeted support for hours earlier.
In response to these remarks, Sandy Hook Promise released the following statement:
“Preventing gun violence takes more than just limiting who has access to guns. We need to pair real policy change with community education around what the warning signs are for potential violence, a willingness to speak up when seeing these signals from others, and safe ways to report threats.” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
“We must all come together in action. We must speak with one voice against acts of hate targeted at persons of color. And we must also put an end to rhetoric that stigmatizes mental illness because we know that people living with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of gun violence. The President has called for passing Extreme Risk Protection Orders and promised change. Yet, bipartisan proposals for ERPOs and universal background checks sit stalled in Congress. We urge the President to stand by his word and prevent future tragedies before they can happen.”
To date, more than 7.5 million people nationwide have been trained in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence.
About Sandy Hook Promise:
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. 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. SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence and other forms of violence and victimization BEFORE they can happen by creating a culture of engaged youth and adults committed to identifying, intervening, and getting help for individuals who might be at risk of hurting themselves or others. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions,
and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. Make the Promise at www.sandyhookpromise.org.