NEWTOWN, Conn. — Over the weekend, there were at least 17 mass shootings across 10 states, including those in Washington state, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, Southern California, Milwaukee and Baltimore, as reported by the Associated Press and smaller towns like Greenville, NC and Decatur, GA. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have now been 318 mass shootings – where four or more people were killed or injured, excluding the shooter – in 2023.
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:
“Every weekend, our hearts break for the families and loved ones of the victims of mass shootings across the country. Three-day weekends are usually the worst. This weekend was no exception. Once again, our hearts go out to those irrevocably impacted by gun violence. Once again, our heartbreak is accompanied by frustration and anger that gun violence continues to plague our nation, leaving no community untouched.
“Mass shootings are so prevalent that we have gotten used to them. Even I have come to expect that every week will start by mourning the weekend’s gun violence deaths. We have to stop treating gun violence like it’s normal and immediately take action to end it. Public officials must implement policies proven to stop gun violence.
“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, and temporary transfer orders are proven to save lives and are remedies legislators can and must pass immediately. We are outraged by the refusal of public officials to pass and implement these policies. All of us — in every community across the nation — must demand action now.
“We must honor every victim by working to help end gun violence. We must use our voices to ensure that America stops accepting gun violence as an inevitability and, instead, enact policies and programs to prevent it.”
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. 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