In Denver, Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords & Capt. Mark Kelly Help Launch New Colorado Coalition of Gun Owners

 Colorado Gun Owners for Safety will advocate for stronger laws while pushing for gun safety 

 Recent Giffords poll found Colorado voters, including gun owners, broadly support five key gun violence prevention measures that could better protect communities 

January 22, 2019 — Today, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, co-founders of Giffords, were in Denver to help launch a new group called Colorado Gun Owners for Safety. This new coalition of hunters, sport shooters, and collectors are coming together to advocate for commonsense gun violence prevention laws and promote safety. At a roundtable meeting announcing the launch, members of the new group shared their personal stories about getting involved and why they believe in the Second Amendment and stronger gun laws.

“It takes courage to speak up. When you do, others listen,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “I was inspired by the Colorado gun owners I met today. Like me, they know that being a gun owner is our right as Americans but also comes with responsibilities. For too long, any sensible conversation about how we could bridge divides on addressing gun violence was drowned out by an angry few. But as this public safety threat has only gotten worse, as it seems like no community is safe from experiencing gunfire, Americans are demanding action. We look forward to working with this group to pass sensible laws that can make Colorado safer.”

Colorado gun owners decided to take action because of their concern over the gun violence crisis. Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that in 2017 the number of people dying from gun violence rose for the third year in a row. Overall, 39,773 Americans died in 2017 from gunshots, meaning that nearly 109 people were killed by firearms each day.

Mike Heyka, founding member of Colorado Gun Owners for Safety:

“We believe the 2nd Amendment is a right. We also believe we can better protect Colorado communities by passing common sense gun laws. We are proud to work with Giffords to help raise awareness and do more to keep people in our state safe from gun violence.”

During the meeting the Colorado Gun Owners for Safety discussed their mission, priorities, and the policies they will support and push lawmakers to pass at the state and federal level. Many gun owners support commonsense gun safety laws, such as background checks for every gun sale and funding research into the cause of gun violence. The coalition will be a platform to bring these voices together and allow them to be heard.

The mission of the new group is to support gun violence prevention laws while respecting the Second Amendment and promoting gun safety. They have three goals: reduce gun violence in Colorado, shift the culture, and promote responsible gun ownership. At the state capitol, Colorado Gun Owners for Safety will be pushing two major initiatives. The first is a law to establish Extreme Risk Protection Orders, a measure that empowers families and law enforcement to prevent tragedies by temporarily removing guns from individuals at an elevated risk of endangering themselves or others. The second would require lost and stolen guns to be reported so law enforcement can better ensure firearms don’t fall into dangerous hands.

In recent years, Colorado has been hit hard by the gun violence epidemic:

• Someone is killed with a gun every 13 hours in Colorado.
• Over 55 percent of Colorado’s intimate partner homicides involve a gun.
• Guns are the second-leading cause of deaths for Colorado children ages 1-17.
• More than 80 percent of all gun deaths in Colorado are suicides, and more than half of all suicides in the state involve firearms.

 Click here to read a full overview about the cost of gun violence in Colorado.

A recent poll released by Giffords shows that that five key gun safety measures, like keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people through Extreme Risk Protection Orders or securing storage for gun dealers, are backed by 70 percent or more of the respondents who own a gun.

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