Giffords Celebrates 10 Years of Courage

Washington DC — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords released the following statement on the 10 year anniversary of Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization she founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Giffords was founded on January 8, 2013, on the second anniversary of the Tucson shooting where former Congresswoman Giffords was shot meeting with constituents, along with 18 others, and six people were killed. 

Ahead of the anniversary, Giffords released a report highlighting the impact the organization has had over the past 10 years. During that time, they’ve helped pass more than 525 state gun safety laws as well as the first federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, created the Giffords Gun Owners for Safety program with 100,000 gun owners, and have helped elect more than 460 gun safety champions to office. 

Former Congresswoman Giffords also released a video with her reflections on the past 10 years.

“In December 2012, 20 children and six adults were senselessly murdered in Newtown, Connecticut. As a country, we were united in our horror and our outrage. And that’s when I knew I had found my new calling. On January 8, 2013, two years to the day from when I was shot, I launched an organization dedicated to ending our nation’s gun violence epidemic.

“Today, that organization is known as Giffords, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished alongside courageous survivors, legislators, and advocates. We’ve passed more than 525 gun safety laws in nearly every state in the nation. This summer, after tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, we finally managed to do what we couldn’t after Sandy Hook: pass bipartisan gun safety legislation at the federal level. 

“Like in my own recovery journey, many obstacles have had to be surmounted. Both journeys started with having the courage to hope—hope that things could change, that the status quo wasn’t guaranteed—and then acting on that hope. I’m so grateful to everyone who has worked for and with Giffords this past decade. You are the reason that things can and will change. Thank you, and I will never stop fighting alongside you.”

Giffords Co-Founder and Executive Director Peter Ambler is available to talk about the organization’s impact and evolution over the past 10 years, as well as where it’s headed in the next decade. To schedule an interview, email Mary Yatrousis (myatrousis@giffords.org).

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

Contact