NEWTOWN, Conn. — Yesterday, three members of the football team were killed and at least two people were injured in a mass shooting at a garage on the University of Virginia (UVA) campus. 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; nearly 600 so far this year. Education Week reports 41 school shootings this year, as of November 8, 2022.
In response to the last night’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 friends of the victims and survivors and the entire community who was in lockdown for so long in the wake of this latest mass shooting at the University of Virginia. The nation mourns for the three lives taken by gun violence. The grief is compounded by fear for our own loved ones and ourselves. We fear that when we send our kids to school — whether to elementary school in the morning or college in the fall — they won’t come home. We fear that as we live our everyday lives — having a night out on the town, shopping for groceries, or just going to work — we will fall victim to the American gun violence epidemic.
“Pain and fear must strengthen our resolve to take action to stop gun violence. We must resist the urge of resignation and, instead, reject the notion that gun violence is inevitable because we know that, in fact, gun violence is preventable.
“Undisputed research proves that gun violence prevention programs and policies can and do save lives. Simple actions like background checks for all gun sales, safe storage, magazine limits for firearms, and extreme risk protection orders are proven to work and are remedies legislators should pass now.
“We must honor all victims of gun violence by taking action to save lives — so that no other families suffer this horrific pain. We must demand that public officials take immediate action to help end gun violence now.”
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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.
Media Contact:
Loretta Kane | [email protected] | 917-410-7242