NEWTOWN, Conn. — Last night, five people were killed and at least 18 people were injured in a mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This shooting comes in what is becoming the deadliest year for mass shootings on record. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. is averaging nearly two mass shootings per day; more than 600 so far this year.
In response to the latest tragedy, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Our hearts break for the families of the five precious lives taken by last night’s mass shooting in Colorado Springs. We wish those injured all a full recovery. The trauma of last night’s tragedy reverberates across the country, particularly among LGBTQ communities, who are all too familiar with violence that targets them. It is especially traumatic for LGBTQ communities to wake up to this tragedy on Transgender Day of Remembrance. While we don’t know the motivation of the killer, we do know the painful reality that LGBTQ people are targeted by hate crimes every day. Last night’s shooting compounds the fear that community has been forced to live with.
“The trauma of this tragedy is part of our collective fear for our own loved ones and ourselves. We fear that when we send our kids to school in the morning they won’t come home in the afternoon. We fear that as we live our everyday lives — attending religious services, shopping for groceries or enjoying a night out on the town — we will fall victim to the American gun violence epidemic.
“Our national trauma and fear must not stop us from participating fully in life but, rather, should inspire our resolve to take action to end the epidemic. We must rise up to reject the notion that gun violence is inevitable and, instead, demand immediate action to rid our country of this scourge.
“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, safe storage, magazine limits for firearms, and extreme risk protection orders are proven to save lives and are remedies legislators should and must pass now.
“We owe it to all of the victims and survivors of gun violence in the U.S. to take action to save lives — so that friends can gather in a nightclub without fearing for their lives. We must demand that public officials take immediate action to help end gun violence.”
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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