NEWTOWN, Conn. – Five family members – a mother, father, and three children – were found fatally shot on Tuesday at their home in West Valley City, Utah. Another family member, a 17-year-old, was found with a gunshot wound at the site and was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition with a traumatic brain injury.
The deceased victims include three children aged 11, 9, and 2, and a 38-year-old woman. Police stated a handgun was recovered from under the body of a deceased 42-year-old adult male, reported to be the father of the family. At this time, law enforcement has not confirmed the identity of the shooter, but believe the adult male carried out the attack using a handgun before turning the weapon on himself.
In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Just days away from Christmas, an entire family is taken by gun violence. It’s an unbelievable tragedy, and my heart is with their surviving loved ones and the community of West Valley City as they process and endure this nightmare of a situation.”
“Gun violence can touch any one of our lives in horrifying ways, but it does not have to be this way. Tragedies are preventable when you know the warning signs and know how to get help. A person who is in crisis will often exhibit certain behaviors that signal something is wrong. If you don’t know what to look for, these signals may be overlooked. That’s why it’s critical for everyone to learn these life-saving signs.”
“And when it is recognized that an individual is in crisis, measures to safely and temporarily remove firearms from their possession are proven to save lives. After the individual receives the help they need, their firearms can be returned. Utah does not currently have such temporary transfer laws. I encourage bipartisan members of the state’s legislature to work together to write and pass these life-saving laws for all Utah citizens.”
For more information about the warning signs of violence and proven violence prevention programs and policies, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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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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Nick Dmitrovich | [email protected] | 203-304-9780 Ext. 279