For Release: Monday, November 6, 2017
In response to the assault weapon attack at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that left 26 churchgoers dead and more than 20 wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in modern Texas history, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement:
“Our nation mourns the loss of life in Sutherland Springs and the impact of gun violence on yet another community and its residents. And while we’re still learning the facts of this horrific event, we already know the common thread that allows such killers to take so many lives in such a brief period of time: the combination of a semiautomatic firearm with the ability to accept a detachable high-capacity ammunition magazine like the Ruger AR-15-style assault rifle reportedly used in this most recent attack. Besides the gun industry’s bottom line, there is no reason to allow the continued sale of military bred assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The answer to gun violence is not more guns, but to recognize that as long as we allow civilian access to these weapons of war horrific attacks like Sutherland Springs will continue to threaten our public life and define our nation.”
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
