Newtown, CT – On Sunday, six people, including three under age 20 and an unborn baby, were murdered in a mass shooting in an Indianapolis home. This is the largest mass homicide in Indianapolis in more than a decade.
In response to this tragedy, Sandy Hook Promise issued the following statement:
“My heart is with the family and community grieving the senseless murder of six precious lives,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “Guns are never the solution to conflicts. And no minor should ever have unsupervised access to guns of any kind. As parents and communities, we must be extra vigilant to support kids’ mental health during this time. Take extreme behavior changes, unusually hostile anger, anxiety, or depression seriously and get help.”
To date, more than 12 million people nationwide have participated in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence.
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About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed Know the Signs prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. 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:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646.761.5579