To the Editor:

Two weeks ago, we placed a letter signed by 300-plus families and survivors directly impacted by gun violence as an ad in Politico to encourage President Biden to make ending the gun violence crisis in America a priority during the early days of his administration.

On February 14th, on the heartbreaking three-year anniversary of the Parkland tragedy, President Biden released a statement making a commitment to not wait until the next mass shooting to take action. He also called on Congress “to enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.”

Since the Sandy Hook tragedy, nearly 300,000 Americans have been killed by guns. In 2020, nearly 23 million guns were purchased, representing a 64 percent jump year over year. There were also record homicides and gun deaths in 2020. In January, more than 2 million guns were purchased after the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol, representing an 80 percent year-over-year spike and the third highest one-month total on record.

More guns in our communities result in more gun deaths and injuries, and the federal government must take immediate action to end this crisis.

The universal background check and assault weapons ban bills are expected to be reintroduced next week and other gun control laws will be introduced in the coming weeks and months. We encourage all to join our efforts to pass these life-saving bills by signing up for our action alerts on our website www.newtownactionalliance.org.

Po Murray

Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance

PO Box 3325

Newtown CT February 19, 2021