During this week of remembrance for the mass shootings in Orlando and Charleston, we are deeply saddened that elected officials, their staff and Capitol Police detail experienced the horrific mass shooting this morning. The 5 people injured this morning are now part of the 33,000 Americans who die and 81,000 Americans injured by gun violence every year.

This shooting targeting our elected officials is a tragic reminder that even a setting filled with the most highly trained law enforcement is no match the lethal and overwhelming firepower of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the hands of a mass shooter. Military style weapons have been used in 28 mass shootings since the massacre of 26 children and school teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School four years ago, including in the deadliest mass shooting in modern history at the Pulse Nightclub that happened just a year ago.

Today Congress is considering passing a bill that will deregulate silencers – the very instruments that hinder police from identifying locations of shooters – a federal regulation that was designed to prevent ambushing of police. Our Congress needs to stand up to the gun lobby once and for all and ban sales of weapons of war to civilians and say no to deregulating silencers.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Thorne, Executive Director
Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence