Gabby Giffords remembers victims of 101 California Street shooting

WASHINGTON — Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, founder of the national gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS, shared the following statement as she marks 32 years since the 101 California Street shooting that took place in San Francisco. The shooting was the catalyst behind the foundation of GIFFORDS Law Center, then called the Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), which was created to draft and defend laws, policies and programs that save lives from gun violence.

Eight people were murdered and six more were injured during the 101 California Street shooting, which took place at the San Francisco law firm Pettit & Martin. Shirley Mooser, Allen J. Berk, Donald “Mike” Merrill, Jack Berman, Deborah Fogel, Jody Jones Sposato, David Sutcliffe and John Scully lost their lives in the shooting.

“More than 30 years ago, eight people were cruelly gunned down at 101 California Street, and six others were injured,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “The devastation and injustice of this shooting can never be understated, and we will never forget the victims. This painful loss helped spark the formation of what is now GIFFORDS Law Center, a cornerstone of the national gun safety movement that is working to ensure tragedies like this one can no longer happen. GIFFORDS Law Center and our partner advocates at GIFFORDS have been key in the passage of hundreds of gun safety laws at both the state and federal level, and we are committed to continuing that work until our country is a safe place for all.”

“The lifesaving work of GIFFORDS Law Center has grown tremendously since its start as a California-based organization,” said GIFFORDS Law Center Policy Director Lindsay Nichols. “Today, the Law Center answers a nationwide call to fight back against threats to our safety, including pushing back against the Trump administration as it attempts to dismantle the landmark wins passed into law by the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and illegally divert hundreds of millions of dollars intended for community violence intervention programs. GIFFORDS Law Center will never stop fighting to make our country safe from gun violence in honor of the victims of 101 California Street and all those affected by gun violence.”

Recent examples of GIFFORDS Law Center work include:

GIFFORDS Law Center produces materials like these for use in the ongoing fight against gun violence by the press, lawmakers, researchers, advocates, and interested citizens. Find out more at our website.