Gun Violence Survivors And Family Members Meeting With President Obama Today Available To Discuss National Call For Action

More than 120 Events Taking Place Across the Country in Largest Day of Advocacy in U.S. History to Address Gun Violence; www.DemandAction.org/March28  

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NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Obama will meet with gun violence survivors, law enforcement officials and mothers to call on Congress to reform U.S. gun laws at the White House today as Americans gather at more than 120 events nationwide in a National Day to Demand Action to end gun violence.  The following individuals attending the event at the White House today are available for interviews:

Stephen Barton – Stephen was shot with 25 shotgun pellets in the face, neck, chest, and arms during the Aurora movie theatre shooting.  He was staying overnight in Aurora during a cross-country bicycle trip with his childhood best friend, Ethan Rodriguez-Torrent.  Stephen graduated from Syracuse University in May 2012 and has postponed a Fulbright Fellowship to focus on his physical recovery and work on gun violence prevention.  He currently works as an Outreach and Policy Associate for Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Lori Haas – Lori's daughter, Emily, was shot and injured in the mass shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, in which 32 of her classmates and professors were murdered. The shooter had been adjudicated mentally ill and was prohibited from buying firearms. But his mental health records had not been submitted to the background check database, so he was able to pass a check and buy the murder weapons from a licensed gun dealer.  Lori currently works as a gun violence prevention advocate.

Neil Heslin – Neil's son, Jesse Lewis, was a first grade student murdered with a gun in the Newtown shooting.  Neil testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 27, 2013.  Mayors Against Illegal Guns also released the first ad featuring family members from the Newtown tragedy – including Neil – today.  The ad can be viewed here. 

Tom Mauser – Tom's son Daniel was murdered by two classmates in the mass shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Because they were too young to purchase a gun, the shooters convinced Robyn Anderson, an 18-year old senior, to buy guns for them from private sellers at gun shows who did not have to run background checks.

Miya and Sami Rahamim – Miya and Samuel's father, Reuven Rahamim, was murdered with a gun in September 2012.  Reuven, who was the owner of Accent Signage System in Minneapolis, and five others were murdered.  Miya works as an attorney at DLA Piper in Washington D.C. and Samuel is a senior in high school.

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 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

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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