Newtown, CT – Leading up to a historic vote on universal background checks in the House, the first vote on gun safety in years, Mark Barden, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, joined Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) for a national digital town hall meeting to discuss the importance and crucial need of backgrounds checks. The town hall was livestreamed via Facebook and included other gun violence survivors such as, Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06); Jaclyn Corin, March For Our Lives; Pastor Brenda Mitchell, Everytown Survivor Network; and David Chipman, Giffords.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted shortly after the shooting in Parkland, FL, 97 percent of American voters approved universal background checks, with identical levels of support among gun owners and non-gun owners.
The panelists showcased how gun violence has affected all communities across the country, big and small. The passage of this legislation will ensure the safety of everyone across the country, as it will make sure that firearms don’t get into the hands of someone looking to harm themselves or others. One common theme throughout the hour-long discussion is that gun violence is preventable, and this measure will help save countless lives.
During the conversation, Mark mentioned that while policy solutions, such as background checks, is crucial, it should also be coupled with preventative measures, such training people how to Know the Signs of at-risk behaviors and how to properly intervene. This public health issue should be addressed from all angles so that the younger generations can feel safe when they go to school and in their community.
Sandy Hook Promise has been a leader in the call for Congressional action on background checks and bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation since its founding in the days after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012 and has helped pass over a dozen bipartisan laws at the state level to strengthen background checks and create Extreme Risk Protection Orders to prevent gun violence.
Since its inception, more than 5.5 million youth and adults in all 50 states have been trained 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 signature programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, several 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 based in Newtown, Connecticut. 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. SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence and other forms of violence and victimization BEFORE they happen by creating a culture of engaged youth and adults committed to identifying, intervening, and getting help for individuals who might be at risk of hurting themselves or others. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human-side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions, and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation.
For more information, visit www.sandyhookpromise.org or call 203-304-9780.
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