NEWTOWN, Conn. — Today, the U.S. Senate introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act. If passed, the legislation would increase federal regulation of certain semi-automatic firearms, large capacity magazines, and related conversion devices. The GOSAFE Act is the latest sensible gun safety policy Sandy Hook Promise is working to advance at the federal level.
Many semi-automatic firearms are military-style weapons intended to fire multiple rounds in quick succession, killing people quickly and with little effort. They can be used with detachable magazines that can make them even more lethal. These weapons were primarily designed for use in war and battlefields. But because there currently is no federal restriction on the sale of these weapons, civilians have been able to purchase these kinds of semi-automatic firearms to carry out some of our nation’s deadliest mass shootings – including that of the Uvalde tragedy killing 19 students and two educators; the Parkland tragedy killing 17 students; and the Sandy Hook tragedy, where the shooter was able to fire 154 bullets killing 20 first-graders and six educators in less than five minutes.
Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy on December 14, 2012, issued the following statement in response:
“We applaud Senator Heinrich on the introduction of the GOSAFE Act that will reduce mass shootings and save lives by limiting access to highly lethal firearms and large-capacity magazines,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “These deadly weapons are the preferred firearms of school shooters and pose a threat to every community across the country. When the shooter at Sandy Hook paused to reload, 11 children were able to escape. If he had a less lethal firearm and fewer bullets in each magazine that day, maybe my son and others would have survived. We urge Congress to pass these sensible policies to protect our children from gun violence.”
Sandy Hook Promise is one of several organizations to call for the introduction of the GOSAFE Act. To learn more about sensible gun safety policies that can protect kids, visit https://actionfund.sandyhookpromise.org/.
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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.
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