Gabby & Mark Respond to the Tragic Spree Shootings in Hesston, Kansas

February 25, 2016

February 25, 2016 – Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, the Co-Founders of the gun violence prevention organization Americans for Responsible Solutions, issued the below statement following reports of the tragic spree shootings in Hesston, Kansas:

“Today, we were in Minnesota to meet with leaders from around the state to discuss how we can make our communities safer from gun violence. So hearing the news tonight of this latest gun tragedy is another painful reminder of how gun violence is tearing so many of America’s communities apart, and that as a country and a people, we have to do better than this. “We cannot let this be the new normal. “In just the last week, eleven mass shootings have brought terror and tragedy to our country. This is not the America we strive for. “While the we still don’t know exactly what happened in Hesston tonight and why, we know that yet again another American community has been shattered by gun violence. Tonight, our hearts ache for Hesston. “We are grateful to the first responders who put themselves in harm’s way so courageously so that this horrific rampage was brought to an end. We grieve for the family and loved ones impacted by this unspeakable tragedy, and we pray for strength for the injured.”