GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety Condemns Shooting of 16-Year-Old Ralph Yarl
Washington DC — Today, GIFFORDS, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement on the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jason Boren, Deputy Director, GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety:
“If your first instinct when a 16-year-old rings your doorbell is to brandish and fire a gun, you are not a responsible gun owner. This reckless action has devastated the life of Ralph Yarl. Young Black teens should not have to live in fear that they will be killed for ringing the wrong doorbell. As a responsible gun owner, I understand that part of owning a lethal product is knowing that you should use it as a lethal product. This is why training should be a requirement for owning a firearm. This is what happens when the NRA turns the focus away from safety and pushes dangerous policies like they have in Missouri, where people can carry concealed, loaded firearms in public without a background check or permit. GIFFORDS Gun Owners for Safety condemns this shooting and will continue to fight for policies that ensure people who own firearms are responsible with them.”
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