A message from our CEO about yesterday's gun violence in Utah and Colorado

The work of gun violence prevention is about saving lives. It’s about keeping our communities safe, our children protected, and our loved ones okay. It is about ensuring that all people – in every community – can live without fear of being shot. 

Safety for any of us requires safety for all of us.

As the country grapples with the aftermath of yesterday’s horrific shootings, there are some people I also want us to be thinking about – our students.

We must think about all the students who witnessed the lethal shooting of Charlie Kirk. We must think about all the students traumatized by a shooting at a Colorado high school that left classmates in critical condition. And we must think about all the students who have dealt with the active shooter hoax calls in schools across the country, including right here in Massachusetts.

So many students and school communities now traumatized by gun violence. And this is just the beginning of the school year.

While details of both shootings are still emerging, there are certain things we do know: violence is not the answer. More gun violence – and more guns – will never make us safer. Every single person has a right to not get shot. And our children shouldn’t have to grow up with a constant fear of gun violence.

That’s our work.

In coalition,

Ruth Zakarin

CEO, MACOPGV