Weekly Gun Safety Update!


On Thursday afternoon, we were in Minnesota to meet with leaders from around the state to discuss how we can make our communities safer from gun violence when we learned of yet another mass shooting, this time in Kansas.
In the last week alone, eleven mass shootings have brought terror and tragedy to our country.

And while we are still learning all the details of what happened in Hesston, Kansas, we know that the shooter was a prohibited purchaser with an extensive arrest record -- including a felony conviction, domestic battery, theft, and was served with a "protection from abuse order" shortly before the shooting began.

We cannot let this be the new normal. Congress must act. As the 2016 election gets underway, join us in taking our pledge:

Sign our petition: if Congress refuses to take action that will make our communities safer from gun violence, we will take action to elect a new Congress that will.

We are grateful for the first responders who ended the horrific rampage before more lives were lost. But we also grieve for the families who lost loved ones in yet another senseless tragedy.

This year, it is incumbent upon all of us to turn that grief into meaningful action that will create the change over 90% of Americans support. 


Tell the NRA and their allies in Congress that you don’t support giving the gun industry special privileges.

Signatures: 27210 of 50000
Petitioning: Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan

In 2005, NRA-backed lawmakers exempted the gun industry from almost all legal liability. That means that family members of gun violence victims have been denied a day in court against gun shops who have sold to known gang members, and arms manufacturers who have sold firearms without basic safety features. 

Gun manufacturers and sellers have more immunity than any other consumer product including toys, pools, knives, and cars. The NRA has spent millions of dollars defending this law. With 88 people killed by guns in America every day, why should the gun industry be held to a different standard than pharmaceutical companies and automakers? 

Senator Blumenthal and Representative Schiff have introduced legislation to repeal this reckless law. Tell Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan that you support Senator Blumenthal and Representative Schiff’s efforts to hold the gun industry responsible. 

I ask you to support Senator Blumenthal and Representative Schiff’s efforts to repeal the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This law gives gun and ammunition manufacturers blanket immunity.

When negligent car manufacturers or drug companies cause deaths or injuries to everyday Americans, we hold them accountable. And yet victims of gun violence and their families can never get their day in court.

Think about it: If a toy gun causes an industry, the manufacturer can be held accountable. If a real gun causes an injury or death, negligent gun retailers and manufacturers have a get-out-of-jail free card thanks to this law.


Please support a repeal of the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

Click Here To Help!

Kansas shooting: gunman Cedric Ford opens fire at Excel Industries, killing three
Kansas shooting: gunman Cedric Ford opens fire at Excel Industries,...


Sandy Hook Massacre: Killer Adam Lanza filmed dancing 'DDR' six-months before shootings

The Use of Guns in Hate Crimes. Keeping Guns Out of the Hands of Violent Extremists.
The massacres at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina and the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin have illuminated the ugly reality of mass shootings motivated by bias or hate in America. The use of guns in hate crimes—a trend that appears to be on the rise—threatens, intimidates, and terrorizes not just the individual victims but the entire membership of a historically vulnerable community with a message of fear and hatred.

Keeping guns out of the hands of individuals who perpetrate hate crimes is therefore crucial to ensuring the safety of groups who have historically been targeted because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Yet under federal law and the law in most states, individuals who have been convicted of hate crimes remain free to buy and possess guns.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a conversation with leading experts on the history of hate crime laws in the United States; the gaps in those laws that contribute to sporadic and inconsistent reporting; and new ideas for policy solutions to help keep communities safe from violent extremists armed with guns.

Welcoming remarks: Winnie Stachelberg, Executive Vice President for External Affairs, Center for American Progress

Featured panelists: Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), Congressman, 1st District of Rhode Island
Mark Potok, Senior Fellow, Southern Poverty Law Center
Steven Hawkins, Civil and Human Rights Advocate
Steve Scaffidi, Mayor, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Moderated by: Chelsea Parsons, Vice President of Guns and Crime Policy, Center for American Progress

A mom loading her kids into the car. Four friends going out to dinner on a Saturday night. A father shopping at a car dealership with his son, a high school senior.

In Kalamazoo, Michigan this weekend, six innocent people were shot and killed, and two gravely injured, while simply going about their daily routines.

And the tragedy in Kalamazoo wasn't even the only shooting with multiple victims this weekend -- six separate shootings ripped through American communities and left multiple people dead. In total, 80 Americans were killed and 150 wounded in just three days. That's more than one person shot and killed every hour. [1]

Tragedies like these shouldn't happen this often. If you think we need to do more to reduce these senseless tragedies, now is the time to step up and fuel the fight. Make a gift of $25 or more today and help us fight for stronger gun laws that will protect Americans.

Fuel Our Fight Against the NRA on the Front Lines
We know there's more we can do to reduce the daily toll of gun violence in America -- and that it's up to us to make that change.

We're on the ground fighting every single day to make our communities safer. Your donation today will go directly towards that fight by:
  • Taking gun policy questions straight to the people and passing background checks at the ballot.
  • Closing loopholes that allow convicted criminals and domestic abusers to get their hands on guns.
  • Conducting gun violence research in order to develop policies that will save lives.
  • Building our grassroots movement from coast to coast.
There have been too many moments of silence for good people like us to stay silent. Give $25 or more today and make your voice heard in the fight to end gun violence.


For decades, the NRA bought politicians, pushed their extremist agenda, and spread their lies unchallenged.

Now they're getting nervous, and here's the proof: On March 1, the NRA will raise their membership fees for the first time in two decades because they're afraid they "won't be able to compete" with you and me this election season.[1]

They're recruiting more aggressively than ever before. They're stocking up their war chest. And they're preparing for their biggest fight yet this election.

Will you accept the NRA's challenge and pitch in $25 or more before the March 1 deadline? 

The gift you make today will determine how aggressive we can be when we square off in battleground states from coast to coast.
Fuel Our Fight Against the NRA on the Front Lines
Last night, another shooting spree devastated an American community, this time in Kansas. Three innocent people were killed, and as many as 17 others injured.

We don't have all the details yet. But we do know this: There's more we can do to prevent these horrifying tragedies from happening. And we've proven that when we stand together, we can create real change that will help save lives.

Together, we've changed the national conversation around gun violence. We asked President Obama to enforce existing federal gun laws, and he listened. We showed up in statehouses across the country to shut down the NRA's extremist bills. We put gun violence prevention on the presidential debate stage, where candidates bragged about their bad NRA ratings.

We've made historic progress in such a short amount of time. And we can't afford to let the NRA roll it back.

Give $25 or more before March 1 and make sure we have the resources to take on the NRA this election.  Thanks for never giving up.

UPDATE: MaKayla Didn't Need to Die - Keep Guns Away from Kids.
MaKayla Didn't Need to Die - Keep Guns Away from Kids

Update #1 6 hours ago
HUGE NEWS: MaKayla's Law will be heard in committee in the Tennessee State House next week! If our bill has any chance of keeping any more kids from being shot due to irresponsible gun owners, we need a huge outcry from Tennessee. Click here to share on Facebook, and tag all your TN friends and family.

About This Petition
My 8 year old granddaughter MaKayla Dyer was killed by her neighbor, an 11 year old boy on October 3, 2015. Because she joked about not showing him her puppy. Our family is devastated by this avoidable tragedy. If the weapon had simply been locked away unloaded, MaKayla would still be here today.

The boy has been charged with 1st degree murder, the youngest individual ever to be charged with that crime in Tennessee. This won't bring MaKayla back, nor will it keep a tragedy like this from happening again. The Washington Post estimates that toddlers are shooting an average of one person a week in 2015 - and in Tennessee alone, 19 children have been accidentally shot this year. This needs to stop.

Tennessee (and every state) should have stronger Child Access Prevention laws to force gun owners to store their weapons responsibly. This isn't about taking away someone's firearm, it's about saving lives, and keeping other innocent children from dying due to irresponsibly stored and inapproriately accessible guns.

Please help me make sure MaKayla's horrible fate isn't shared by one more child. Sign the petition to demand Tennessee's lawmakers act to strengthen Child Access Prevention laws to make gun owners store their firearms safely. If guns are accessible and used to injure or kill someone, the irresponsible owners should also be charged with criminal acts.