STATEMENT: Giffords Responds to Sunday Morning Waffle House Mass Shooting in Nashville
STATEMENT: Giffords Responds to Sunday Morning Waffle House Mass Shooting in Nashville
Washington, DC — Early Sunday morning at a Nashville Waffle House, at least four people were killed and others were injured after a shooter approached the restaurant and opened fire.
Statement from former Congresswoman and Giffords co-founder Gabrielle Giffords:
“My deepest sympathies go out to the victims of this crime and all the members of the Nashville community. We deserve the right to live without fear of gun violence. We owe it to our kids. This past year has seen tragedy after tragedy – those you’ve seen on the news and those you haven’t. We’ve seen weapons that belong on a battlefield used to slaughter innocent Americans, including children. We’ve seen thousands more die in hundreds of communities across every state. This is not normal, and we shouldn’t accept it as normal.
“America too often distinguishes itself in response to tragedy – honoring the victims, supporting the survivors, even rushing a shooter and saving lives. And too often we fail to do what we can to prevent these shootings from happening in the first place. But the past two months have seen America rise in response to the gun violence crisis. We marched in the streets, we passed laws that have likely already saved lives , and we have demonstrated unprecedented resolve to vote out the politicians that have for too long put special interests above our safety. Our hearts are heavy, but we are focused on change.”
Assault Weapons & Mass Shootings
Giffords recently released a new policy framework designed to regulate and restrict access to assault weapons. In just the past seven months, three of the 10 worst mass shootings in modern American history have been carried out with assault weapons. Outraged by the fact that these weapons, specifically designed to kill people quickly, are consistently used in horrific public attacks, Americans have been calling on elected leaders to protect communities from the unique threat posed by these military-style firearms.
Background on Tennessee Gun LawsTennessee scored a D- on the latest Giffords Law Center Gun Law Scorecard. Tennessee has the 14th highest rate of gun deaths per capita among the states. Learn more about Tennessee’s gun laws .
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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.