B: Relentless Gun Violence from Coast to Coast; Past 2 Days Dread
ul Slice of Continuing Epidemic of Gun Violence in Am
B: Relentless Gun Violence from Coast to Coast; Past 2 Days Dreadful Slice of Co
tinuing Epidemic of Gun Violence in America
WASHINGTON, Jul 9, 2003 (U.S. Newswire via COMTEX) -- An alleged white
supremacist walks into a Mississippi factory, shoots 13, killing five, then
kills himself. Kids in New Jersey plot a massacre. A 15-year-old in Kansas City
surrenders to police after allegedly shooting two young girls. A Bakersfield,
Calif. educator allegedly kills his entire family, including a six-week old
baby.
And in Colorado Springs, a man shows up at City Hall with a shotgun, and nothing
can be done. Police who would presumably otherwise be out fighting crime are
assigned to stand around watching him.
Mourning in America.
In an all-too-typical nationwide bloodletting, people with guns killed people,
wounded people, scared people. They got guns from Dad's closet and plotted
Columbine-style massacres. They traded cocaine for guns, or just loaded up with
as many as they wanted at the local gun store. Nearly 80 Americans die each day
from gun violence.
Something needs to be done.
"These recent shootings are tragic, deplorable, preventable and only a sampling
of gun violence in America. The all-too familiar events of this week -- and it's
only Wednesday -- should serve as a wake-up call to the President and the
Congress," said Michael Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun
Violence united with the Million Mom March. "But instead of strengthening our
gun laws, Congress is considering stripping away the legal rights of gun
violence victims and giving special legal protection to reckless gun dealers.
It's absurd -- and an affront to American families."
The week so far...
-- July 8, 9:40 a.m., Mississippi: An assembly line worker began a shooting
spree at his Lockheed Martin aircraft parts plant after attending an ethics and
sensitivity training session. Doug Williams, 48, killed 6, including himself,
and injured 8 others.
-- July 8, 6:55 a.m., California: Three children all under the age of 5, their
mother, 39, and grandmother, 70, were discovered dead of gunshot wounds in their
home. The father of two of the children, a 41 year-old vice principal of an
elementary school, surrendered today in North Carolina.
-- July 8, a.m., Colorado: A man sat quietly in the back row of a Colorado
Springs city council meeting with his shotgun. The shotgun was unloaded but the
man was carrying ammunition. Police could do nothing but watch.
-- July 7, 2:45 p.m., New York: The driver of a commuter van was shot to death
by one of his passengers during an alleged robbery attempt. Reports indicate
that there were as many as twelve passengers in the van at the time.
-- July 7, Missouri: A 15 year old boy suspected of firing an assault rifle down
a busy Kansas City street surrendered. The seemingly random shooting injured two
girls, one 15 and the other two.
-- July 6, 3:48 a.m., New Jersey: Three teenagers attempted to carjack a vehicle
and had documented plans of going on a shooting rampage in Oaklyn. The teens
amassed an arsenal of rifles, shotguns, handguns, machetes, swords and 2,000
rounds of ammunition. Some of the weapons came from the ringleader's father's
"extensive collection" of licensed rifles, shotgun and pistols that were
reportedly kept in the father's closet.
Last week, on the evening of July 2 in Missouri, Jonathon Russell, 25, showed up
for work at the Modine Manufacturing Company, smoked a cigarette, then reported
to his position on the manufacturing line, where he calmly pulled out a .40
caliber Glock pistol and opens fire on his co-workers, injuring eight and
killing three. He then commits suicide in a shoot-out with police.
Congress, meanwhile, plods on, and the gun rights extremists are six votes away
from securing the passage of S. 659, a bill granting virtual blanket immunity
from civil liability to bad apple gun dealers and gun manufacturers. What will
it take to get America's elected leadership to do something more rational, to
stem the flood of death and injury? How many more weeks like this do Americans
have to endure?
As the nation's largest national, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading
the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
united with the Million Mom March is dedicated to creating an America free from
gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in
their communities.
usnewswire.com
CONTACT: Peter Hamm of the Brady Campaign to Prevent
Gun Violence, 202-898-079
Copyright (C) 2003, U.S. Newswire
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