Newtown, CT — Yesterday, an 18-year-old white supremacist wearing body armor and armed with an assault rifle murdered 10 and wounded three while live-streaming his mass shooting spree inside and outside of a Buffalo, New York supermarket. 11 of the people shot were Black. The attack was driven by the shooter’s publicly stated racist, anti-immigrant, and antisemitic beliefs.
This atrocity is the deadliest mass shooting of 2022. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. is averaging more than one mass shooting per day; nearly 200 as of today. Analysis of recent CDC data underscores the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities nationwide – and proves that stronger gun safety laws lead to lower rates of violence.
In response to this tragedy, 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:
“My heart is heavy today, grieving with the families of the innocent lives taken in this horrific tragedy and sharing their outrage and anger. No punishment is going to undo the trauma that this hate-filled act has caused.
“Fear-based anger and prejudice drives violence. We all – and especially our children – deserve to feel and be safe in our schools, homes, and communities. This heinous hate crime against Black people demands both national outcry and action. We must unite in condemnation of hate, racism, misogyny, and bigotry and reject racism, xenophobia, and nativism in all their forms. We can overcome fear and hatred with a collective commitment to look out for one another, and speak up to get help when we see potential violence in any form.
“According to the FBI, our nation has seen more hate crimes in recent years than we have in a decade. And with millions more guns in U.S. homes than ever before, we must take meaningful steps to prevent further violence. Sensible legislation like background checks for all gun sales, magazine limits for firearms, and secure storage of weapons are proven to save lives. Simple yet powerful steps we can take to end this epidemic plaguing our nation.”
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About the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund: The Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) Action Fund 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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