A decade later, Gabby Giffords remembers the victims of the Charleston church shooting

WASHINGTON — Ahead of the ten year anniversary on June 17, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, founder of national gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS, shared the following statement honoring the victims and survivors of the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015. The hate-fueled attack targeted Charleston’s African American community, in which a white supremecist opened fire, killing nine people and injuring one during a Bible study at one of the most historic houses of worship in the country. 

The tragedy in South Carolina exposed a deadly gap in existing law, now known as “the Charleston Loophole.” Under current law, gun dealers can move forward with a sale if a background check takes longer than three business days. That is exactly how the Charleston shooter got a gun he never should have had. Background checks can usually be performed within minutes, those that take more than three days are four times more likely to be denied. In this case, the shooter should have been denied due to his criminal record which would have prevented him from purchasing the gun. The Enhanced Backgrounds Check Act, sponsored by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), seeks to address the Charleston Loophole.

“My heart is with Charleston and the Mother Emanuel community as I remember those whose lives were stolen that day. Ten years later, the wound of this deep injustice is still fresh,” said former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. “This shooting was preventable. Congress must follow the leadership of Rep. Clyburn and close the Charleston loophole once and for all. We owe it to the victims, their families, and this community to fix our broken system and make sure no one else has to endure this kind of heartbreak again.”