Campaign Against Assault Weapons Sponsors the #LovetoLasVegas National Vigil and Rally on Wednesday, October 18th at the U.S. Capitol
Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
October 17, 2017
Contact:
John Kelley/ Newtown Action Alliance
jkelley@newtownaction.org
917-679-6475
Campaign Against Assault Weapons Sponsors the #LovetoLasVegas National Vigil and Rally on Wednesday, October 18th at the U.S. Capitol
COALITION VISITS EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO DEMAND A BAN ON #WeaponsOfWar
WHAT: On Sunday, October 1, 2017, 58 victims were senselessly massacred and nearly 500 victims injured in an act of domestic terrorism in Las Vegas — the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
With easy access to military-style assault weapons, high capacity magazines and bump-fire stocks, a man filled with hate turned a place of celebration and joy at a music festival into a war zone filled with terror, devastation and terrible loss. In ten minutes, the gunman killed and injured nearly as many people as the number of troops who were killed and injured in 48 days in the Second Battle of Fallujah, the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War.
Military-style semi-automatic assault weapons are designed to efficiently kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time available. There is absolutely no reason for assault rifles, assault pistols, and assault shotguns to be sold on the civilian market.
Congress did not take action after Aurora, Sandy Hook, Orlando and many other devastating mass shooting incidents and the scope of death and destruction caused by a man with weapons of war is growing.
The Campaign Against Assault Weapons is sponsoring the national memorial service to send our support for the families, survivors and the Las Vegas community and also demand that President Trump and Congress act now to stop the carnage with an effective ban on the civilian use of these weapons. Military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines do not belong in our homes, our streets, our schools, our malls, our movie theaters, our places of worship, or in any of our other gathering places.
In addition, gun violence prevention advocates will be visiting the offices of each member of Congress this week to remind them that more than 120 organizations and more than one million people have demanded that Congress take action to end gun violence since the tragic shooting in Las Vegas just over two weeks ago. The more than one million petition signatures were collected by Avaaz, CREDO, CT Against Gun Violence, Daily Kos and MoveOn.org Civic Action.
WHO:
Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT)
Reverend Michele H. Morgan Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill
Po Murray, Chairman, Newtown Action Alliance
Natalie Hernandez, Gun Violence Prevention Organizer, Battle Born Progress, Nevada
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, Parents of Jessica Ghawi, killed by #WeaponsOfWar in Aurora, Colorado in 2012, Founders of Jessi’s Message
Jonathan Perloe, Communications Director, CT Against Gun Violence
Nardyne Jefferies, Mother of Brishell Jones, killed by #WeaponsOfWar in Washington D.C. in 2010, Founder of Stop Killing Innocent People
Ron Pinciaro, Executive Director, CT Against Gun Violence
Pulin Modi, Platform Campaign Director, MoveOn.org Civic Action
Jason Lindsay, Executive Director, Pride Fund To End Gun Violence
Kathleen Monahan, Board Member, Stated United to Prevent Gun Violence
Ladd Everitt, Director, One Pulse for America
WHAT: National Vigil to send #LoveToLasVegas and Rally to Demand a Ban on #WeaponsOfWar
WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 6:30-8PM
WHERE: The West Lawn at the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. Rain or shine.
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The Campaign Against Assault Weapons is a coalition of over 120 gun violence prevention organizations and allies that support a ban on #WeaponsOfWar to keep America safe. The campaign petition can be found here.