NEWTOWN, Conn. — Not long after midnight today, 9 people were shot during a mass shooting in downtown Denver. Crowds were gathered to celebrate the Denver Nuggets NBA championship win. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 291 mass shootings this year.
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:
“We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to all who were injured during this morning’s mass shooting in Denver. To public officials, we send our urgent demand that they take action to stop the gun violence epidemic from growing.
“Mass shootings should not be a daily occurrence. Not when there is undisputed evidence that gun violence is preventable when we know the warning signs and take action to get help. Statistics show that simple policy actions — like background checks for all gun sales, secure storage, and temporary transfer orders — save lives and are remedies legislators can and must pass immediately.
“Today, our country collectively suffers the trauma of another mass shooting — after a deadly weekend of mass shootings — and we are outraged by the refusal of public officials to pass and implement these policies. We must, as a national community, stand up and demand real leadership and immediate action from our elected officials.
“We must honor every victim by working to help end gun violence. Stop accepting gun violence as an inevitability. Demand support for the policies and programs needed to prevent this seemingly unending public health epidemic.”
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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. Learn more at actionfund.sandyhookpromise.org.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646-761-5579