Ohio Moms Demand Action, Everytown Respond to Mass Shooting in Downtown Dayton

DAYTON, OH — The Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement on reports that at least nine people were shot and killed and 27 people wounded in a mass shooting in Dayton’s downtown Oregon District.

“Yesterday, Ohioans grieved for the community of El Paso. Not 24 hours later, we’re waking up to learn about another horrific mass shooting in our own backyard. We are heartbroken for the victims in this shooting, their families and our fellow Daytonians,” said Susie Lane, a Dayton-area volunteer with the Ohio Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Americans should not have to live like this, and nobody deserves to die like this. No one law will stop all gun violence, but there is action lawmakers can take now to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill to require background checks on all gun sales. The U.S. Senate must follow their lead, and Congress needs to pass a strong Red Flags law that allows for intervention before crises turn into deadly tragedies.”

“This is a public health crisis, full stop,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We are heartbroken, for the communities of El Paso and Dayton — and for dozens more Americans who are shot and killed every day, but whose stories do not make the headlines. Americans are angry, and we demand action from lawmakers, beginning with the Senate passing legislation to require background checks on every gun sale and strong federal Red Flags legislation.”

“Americans are fed up with our families and communities being sacrificed to preventable, senseless gun violence,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “In just the last few weeks, gun violence has devastated communities in Baltimore, Gilroy, Canoga Park, Newport News, Brooklyn, El Paso and now Dayton. Lawmakers aren’t doing enough to stop it. We deserve a vote in the Senate now.”

In February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to require background checks on all gun sales. To date, the majority in the U.S. Senate has refused to hold a vote on that legislation. Red Flag bills have been introduced by bipartisan members of Congress in both the U.S. House and Senate.