Everytown, Maryland Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Mass Shooting in Baltimore County, Maryland

The Maryland chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statements after multiple connected shootings left four people dead in Baltimore County over the weekend. Three people were shot — two fatally — at a Royal Farms store in Essex, and the shooter’s parents were found fatally shot at their home in Phoenix. The shooter later died by gun suicide according to police. 

“Our hearts are with the victims and survivors of this senseless gun violence,” said Ruth Gumnitzky, a volunteer with Maryland Moms Demand Action in Baltimore County. “Gun violence continues to ravage our communities and we must take action at all levels of government to end this public health crisis.”

“Enough is enough,” said Celeste Iroha, volunteer with Students Demand Action in Maryland and Everytown Survivor Fellow. “We should be able to go to a convenience store and not be worried that we will be shot and killed. It’s time for more than thoughts and prayers. We need action now.” 

This shooting comes shortly after a mass shooting in Boulder where ten people were shot and killed, including one police officer, at a grocery store and series of shootings in massage parlors around metro Atlanta, in which nine people were shot, eight fatally — six of whom were Asian women. 

Research by Everytown for Gun Safety shows that this is at least the 247th mass shooting since January 2009. Every day in the U.S. on average, more than 100 people are killed with guns, and more than 230 are wounded —the majority of which do not take place during mass shootings.

In an average year, 724 people die by gun violence in Maryland and 1,724 more are wounded. More information about gun violence in Maryland is available here.