NEWTOWN, Conn. — Yesterday, eight people, including five children, were found dead in a home in Enoch, Utah. The victims were shot. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the New Year has begun with a series of mass shootings after 2022 averaged nearly two mass shootings per day.
In response to yesterday’s 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 are heavy for the families and loved ones of the eight people murdered in the latest mass shooting. Once again, we mourn as a nation as we struggle with these cruel murders, including five children. Right behind the grief is fear for our own families, our own children, as the U.S. gun violence epidemic continues to take lives, seemingly unabated.
“We must not let fear immobilize us. Collectively, we must reject the notion that gun violence is inevitable and embrace the fact that gun violence is preventable.
“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 must pass now. We must honor every victim by demanding that public officials take 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