Washington D.C., October 24, 2014- Today’s shooting in Marysville, Washington comes during the close of America’s Safe Schools Week. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence recently released “The Truth About Kids and Guns” report which showed that 68 percent of school shootings involve a gun from the shooter’s own home or that of a relative. In addition, the Brady Center also launched a public awareness campaign for a future where no child is killed by a parent’s gun that includes a nationally-released PSA and digital advertisements featuring David Wheeler, whose son was killed at Sandy Hook.
Below is a statement from Dan Gross, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, about today’s shooting at a Marysville, Washington high school:
"We are deeply troubled by today’s school shooting in Marysville, Washington. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Today’s events underscore this startling fact: For the last two decades, the rate of school shootings in Washington state was more than twice the national average.
Schools are supposed to be safe havens where children can learn, grow and achieve. Clearly, we as a nation need to do more to protect our children.
The specifics of today’s events remain under investigation. If it is like more than two-thirds of all school shootings, then the shooter got the gun from his own home or that of a relative.
If school shootings and other violent incidents at schools are to be stopped, the effort must begin at home. It starts with parents, who need to recognize the risks of guns in the home and make safer choices about gun access and storage. In addition, Washington voters can help make their state safer by voting for ballot measure 594 that will extend background checks to all gun sales and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous people."
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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