We Need More Than Thoughts And Prayers: Brady Responds to Mass Shooting At Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas

Washington, D.C., May 24, 2022 - Today, Brady demands action to stop gun violence in our country, following the murder of 18 children and one teacher in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“This is a horrific and shameful day in our nation’s history. No parent should have to bury a child because of gun violence, but in our nation every parent worries about their kids when they hug them and send them to school each day. There is no American who wants this reality. But, there are groups and politicians who will not act to prevent it. The murder of these children and teachers are on their hands.

Governor Abbott called this horror, ‘incomprehensible;’ yet, this attack is both comprehensible and expected in our country because leaders like Governor Abbott have not only refused to take action but actively undermined common-sense laws and solutions that stop these kinds of tragedies.

President Biden was right to ask ‘when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?’ as a nation. We have been demanding elected officials to act. We have told lawmakers that preventing gun violence is an “election issue” because it is a life or death issue for every American community. Thoughts and prayers, words and platitudes, are not enough. We need action now.”

The Team ENOUGH Executive Council shared:

“Our generation is growing up under the constant threat of gun violence. We are growing up with active shooter drills and threats because the generations that came before ours failed to act to keep us safe. The fact that the generation younger than ours is growing up in a worsening reality is a moral failure of the highest order. What does it say of our leaders if they don’t take action after 18 children are killed in their elementary school? There is no excuse for inaction. Leaders at every level must show the American people that they understand that this is a crisis and take action to keep us safe.”

About Gun Violence in Texas

  • On average, 3,647 people are killed by gun violence each year in Texas.

  • On average, 1,331 people are victims of firearm homicide each year in Texas.

  • Hispanic Texans are 1.5 times more likely to be victims of firearm homicide than their non-Hispanic white counterparts.

  • On average, 2,192 people take their own life by firearm suicide each year in Texas.

  • In 2020, an estimated 1,727,584 firearms were sold in Texas, which is a 64.4% increase from the number of sales in 2019.

  • In 2021, an estimated 1,495,462 firearms were sold in Texas, which is a 13.4% decrease from the number of gun sales in 2020 and a 42.3% increase from the number of sales in 2019.

  • Since 2014, there have been 244 mass shootings in Texas.

About Gun Violence in Uvalde, Texas

  • Since 2014, there have been four mass shootings in Uvalde’s U.S. Congressional district.

  • On average, there are 25 firearm homicides in TX-23 – Uvalde’s U.S. Congressional district – each year.

  • On average, there are 50 firearm related nonfatal injuries in TX-23 – Uvalde’s U.S. Congressional district – each year.

  • On average, 2 children (ages 0 to 11) are killed and one child is injured by firearms each year in TX-23 – Uvalde’s U.S. Congressional district.


###

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.


Back to Press Releases
Related Posts