Elected Officials, Survivors of Gun Violence, Families of Victims, and Local Advocates To Gather In Phoenix To Voice Support For Common-Sense Background Checks That Help Save Lives

News provided by

Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Jul 03, 2013, 09:38 ET

90 Percent of Arizonans Support Background Checks for All Gun Sales; July 3rd Event is Part of "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" Bus Tour; www.NoMoreNames.org

***MEDIA AND EVENT ADVISORY***

PHOENIX, July 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, July 3rd elected officials, survivors of gun violence, families of victims, and local advocates will gather in Phoenix as part of the "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" – a 25-state national bus tour over a period of 100 days aimed at urging America's leaders to support common-sense gun policies. Participants will come together Wednesday to voice their continued support for comprehensive and enforceable background checks that save lives by keeping guns out of the wrong hands.

It remains far too easy for criminals, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill, and other dangerous individuals – people who know they can't pass a background check – to skirt the law and obtain guns by purchasing them online or at gun shows, where background checks are not required under federal law. Bipartisan legislation sponsored by NRA A-rated Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey – which also drew support from Senator John McCain – would have closed this dangerous loophole by extending background checks to commercial gun sales. But a minority of senators – including Senator Jeff Flake – voted to block this common-sense measure.

More than 90 percent of Americans – including 90 percent of Arizonans – support background checks for all gun sales, making Washington's inaction on this critical legislation all the more stunning.

Every day, 33 Americans are murdered with guns in this country. "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" is part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' ongoing, national effort to continue raising awareness to the issue of gun violence in America – and most importantly, to urge elected officials to act on behalf of the people they represent.

What: Elected officials, survivors of gun violence, families of victims, and local advocates to gather in Phoenix to voice their support for common-sense background checks that help save lives

Who: 

  • State Senator Katie Hobbs
  • State Representative Mark Cardenas
  • State Representative Ruben Gallego
  • Vice Mayor Linda Laborin of Tolleson
  • Deborah Parker, whose daughter was murdered with a gun in Phoenix
  • Jennifer Longdon, a survivor of gun violence
  • Gloria Galeno, a survivor of gun violence
  • Gerry Hills, Arizonans for Gun Safety
  • Shannon Rich, Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Where: Burton Barr Library Lecture Room
1221 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, Arizona

When:  Wednesday, July 3rd  
Press Conference: 9:30 a.m. (Doors open at 9:00 a.m.)

*For interview requests in advance and on-site, please contact Stacey Radnor at 202-870-6668.

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 950 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

MEDIA CONTACTS
Alex Katz: [email protected] or 212-788-7617
Stacey Radnor: [email protected] or 202-870-6668
Lizzie Ulmer: [email protected] or 269-271-2331 

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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