GIFFORDS Honors Victims of June 12 Orlando Shooting
Washington DC — Today, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, founder of the gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS, and former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, senior advisor at GIFFORDS, honored the victims of the June 12 shooting in Orlando, Florida, at Pulse Nightclub.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“Seven years ago, 49 innocent people senselessly lost their lives in an act of hate, and countless others’ lives changed forever. As my friend Brandon Wolf has said, Pulse was a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community. Gun violence ruined that. Floridians and the LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t have to fear gun violence while simply living their lives. Today and every day, we remember those lost and commit to honoring their lives with action. We stand with the Orlando community and will continue to fight to save lives in Florida.”
Giffords Florida Senior Advisor and former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell:
“A night of fun and love turned into a horrific nightmare seven years ago today. I won’t stop fighting to honor the lives of the 49 innocent people who were killed in the June 12 shooting and for those who survived. Florida has seen some of the worst mass shootings in the United States, but Governor DeSantis is only making gun violence worse in the state by enacting an ‘anyone with a gun’ law that takes effect July 1. GIFFORDS Florida won’t stop fighting for the safety of all Floridians.”
Sean Holihan, State Legislative Director, GIFFORDS:
“I will never forget waking up after a night of celebrating DC Pride with friends and seeing the reports about Pulse. It felt like a person, radicalized by hatred and armed with an easily accessible firearm, could walk into any safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and commit horrible acts. Instead of working to protect our community, Florida’s current leadership has gone on the attack against it. They are endangering LGBTQ+ lives by fueling hatred and making guns even easier to access. GIFFORDS is committed to passing policies to ensure hate-motivated people can’t access guns.”
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