STATEMENT: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Responds to Weekend of Deadly Gun Violence

January 20, 2020 — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of the gun safety organization Giffords released the following statement after gun violence struck communities across the country this weekend and gun rights activists and other extremists gathered today in Richmond, Virginia. Among the incidents that occurred in the past 48 hours are a boy shooting and killing four people in Grantsville, Utah, a shooting outside a venue in San Antonio that took two lives and injured five while another in Kansas City left 15 injured and two dead, and a gunman taking the lives of two police officers in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Statement from former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords:

“Today, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., we received painful reminders of the work that remains to achieve his vision of a more just and peaceful America. Our country can’t go a single weekend, a single day, without the gun violence crisis taking lives and forever changing families. This tragedy of loss in American communities is matched by the tragedy of corruption in our politics, where elected senators take millions from the NRA while refusing to even allow votes on safer gun laws.

”Donald Trump’s irresponsible tweeting about the gun lobby’s tinderbox in Richmond should be condemned by all. Instead of encouraging civility and debate over how to change our gun laws, he’s fermenting fear and distrust that 2nd Amendment rights are under attack. It’s outrageous and I continue to urge lawmakers in Virginia to meet resistance with resolve, to counter intimidation with courage. We must stand up to the President, the gun lobby, and their allies so our children don’t have to stand up to a gunman tomorrow.”