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In Wake of Tragic Uvalde Shooting,Giffords Releases New Polling, Hosts Roundtable With Florida Parents in Miami

Washington, DC Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, hosted a roundtable today in Coral Gables with Florida parents concerned about their children’s safety in the aftermath of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. In Uvalde, a shooter armed with an AR-15 style rifle killed 19 children and two teachers in their Robb Elementary School classroom.   

More than 1,000 people die from gun homicides in Florida every year, while around 1,700 die from firearm suicide. Like Texas, Florida has been the site of several mass shootings in recent years. In 2016, 49 people were killed in a shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. In 2018, 17 students and staff were killed in a mass school shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In the wake of the Uvalde tragedy, Florida is poised to weaken gun laws further by allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns even if they have not received a permit. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, currently running for re-election, has an A+ rating from the NRA. 

New polling conducted by Giffords and Public Policy Polling indicates that 85% of Florida residents support background checks on all gun sales—a policy Senator Marco Rubio has voted against. A majority of Florida voters believe that gun laws should be made stronger, and 69% said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports background checks. 

Roundtable participants included: 

  • Anabella Perello: Anabella is a lawyer and mother of a sixth-grade child in Miami-Dade County public schools. Anabella left Venezuela to escape gun violence, and currently works as an English/Spanish interpreter. 
  • Lisa Lopez: Lisa is a Cuban American mother of two children. She received a law degree from Florida International University. 
  • Daniel Garcia: Daniel is a local father who works in marketing and advertising. He came to the United States from Venezuela 20 years ago. 
  • Alberto Verdeja: Alberto is an Architect. Born in Cuba and spent his childhood in the Dominican Republic. He is a parent of two in Florida.
  • Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (moderator): Debbie Mucarsel-Powell previously represented Florida’s 26th Congressional District and is the first South American-born immigrant ever elected to Congress. Debbie immigrated to the United States at the age of 14 with her mother and three sisters. Debbie currently serves as a Giffords Senior Advisor. 

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