Father Of Newtown Victim, Gun Owner, And Local Advocates To Gather In Richmond To Urge Lawmakers To Support Common-Sense Background Checks

Participants Will Call On Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor Bipartisan House Bill To Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands; 90 Percent of Americans Support Background Checks

Rally is Part of "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" Bus Tour; www.NoMoreNames.org

***MEDIA AND EVENT ADVISORY***

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, August 22nd, the father of a victim of a Newtown massacre, a gun owner and NRA member, a domestic violence prevention activist, and local advocates will gather in Richmond 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 Thursday to voice their support for comprehensive background checks, and they will urge lawmakers to support bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House that would extend background checks to cover private gun sales in commercial settings. This past March, polling found that Virginians support common sense background checks that would help keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill, and other dangerous individuals, including: 85 percent of Congressman Rigell's constituents in Virginia's 2^nd Congressional District; 89 percent of Congressman Goodlatte's constituents in Virginia's 6^th Congressional District; and 88 percent of Congressman Frank Wolf's constituents in Virginia's 10^th Congressional District. Nationwide, more than 90 percent of Americans support this life-saving measure as well.

The event is being organized by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 1,000 mayors and 1.5 million grassroots supporters nationwide – including more than 58,000 in Virginia. 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 prioritize the safety of the people they represent.

What: Rally to support common-sense background checks and urge lawmakers to support this life-saving public safety measure

Who:  - Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was murdered in Newtown
- Susan B. Rekowski, Virginia resident, NRA member, and gun owner
- Local Advocates

Where: Shields Lake Pavilion
Byrd Park
600 S. Boulevard
Richmond, VA               

When:  Thursday, August 22^nd at 2:00 p.m.

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 1,000 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters – including more than 58,000 in Virginia – 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.

CONTACTS
Alex Katz: [email protected] or 646-324-8245
Stacey Radnor: [email protected] or 202-870-6668

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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