NEWTOWN, Conn. – One person died and 22 others were injured, including 11 children ages 6 to 15, after a shooting Wednesday afternoon during the Kansas City Chiefs championship parade. What was supposed to be a celebratory and unifying occasion became a horrific reminder that the epidemic of gun violence is an inescapable, daily experience in the U.S. That same afternoon, four students were injured in an on-campus shooting at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta.
Both events took place on the same day as the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida six years ago.
There have been more mass shootings than days this year: Just 45 days into 2024, the U.S. has already had 49 mass shootings, and at least 576 youth have been killed or injured by firearms this year alone.
In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“Our hearts are broken for the victims of the mass shootings in Kansas City and Atlanta – for the family and friends who are mourning the loss of a celebrated community member and for the survivors and all those impacted who will carry the trauma of these events with them for the rest of their lives. We also thank the upstanders in Kansas City who protected those in the crowd from danger. We are outraged that they were put in a position to protect during a time that should have been marked by joy and celebration.
“It is even more horrifying that we are offering our solidarity on the same day that we remember two other tragedies that claimed the lives of our youth. How many more shootings will it take for our leaders to wake up and take action?
“It is imperative that we continue to work to implement proven programs and policies that protect all children from gun violence, and that we channel our sadness and anger into action, not apathy. Despite what seems like a never-ending crisis, this issue is not hopeless and we are not helpless. There are proven solutions we can all work towards to end this epidemic.”
Sandy Hook Promise urges parents, caregivers, youth and educators to learn the warning signs of gun violence and advocate for sensible policy that can prevent gun violence and save lives. To learn more about how you can help, visit: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/take-action/get-involved/.
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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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