STATEMENT: Giffords Reacts to Miami Shooting that Left 2 Dead, 2 Wounded

April 9, 2018 – Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, released the following statement after a shooting Sunday left two people dead and two others injured in  Liberty City, Miami . One of the people killed, Ricky Dixon, was a senior at Northwestern Senior High School and was hanging out with his friends when he was gunned down. Over the same weekend, four people were shot at a bar in  Hickory, North Carolina .

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:

“Every day that passes brings more tragic stories about gun violence cutting the lives of Americans short. This crisis is hurting too many families and tearing apart too many communities. It’s not right that a promising young man can be gunned down while standing outside on a Sunday afternoon. It’s not right that in too many neighborhoods you have to grow up wary of the sounds of gunshots.

“We can – and must – do better. That’s why thousands of students, families and voters marched in the streets. That’s why young Americans are reminding the rest of the country that this isn’t just about shootings that happen at schools. This is about making our neighborhoods safer places to live, work, and play. We are going to demand more from the elected officials who continue to ignore the problem.

“America is a place where we dream big. I dream of a nation where a weekend doesn’t bring shootings that leave families forever heartbroken. To achieve that I am fighting to ensure once and for all that we address gun violence. This weekend’s tragedies are a reminder of what’s at stake – and how important it is for us to elect leaders with the courage to do something.”

According to the  Gun Violence Archive,  84 gun violence incidents took the lives of 95 people in the last 72 hours. These shootings occurred across the country in places like Colorado, Illinois Louisiana, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Utah.

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  Giffords   is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.