Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is releasing the following statement following recent outbreaks of gun violence in Philadelphia and yesterday's tragedy in Santa Clarita:
"Our communities continue to face unconscionable gun violence. In recent weeks, Philadelphia has seen an outbreak of shootings involving children, including those which killed a 2-year old girl and an 11-year old boy, and injured a 10-year old boy, to name just a few. Yesterday, the lives of students at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California were forever transformed as they now carry the trauma of having faced an active shooter at school.
"Far too often we come together to mourn the victims of gun violence in our communities, while my Republican colleagues tell us that there is nothing more we can do to address this violence. Enough is enough. We cannot surrender to this public health epidemic as our children are traumatized and killed every day in this country because of gun violence. We should not have to ask our kids to do active shooter drills at schools while refusing to require background checks on individuals purchasing a firearm. Gun violence is a uniquely American problem and the first step to reducing gun violence is passing universal background checks, limiting the size of magazines and banning military-style assault weapons. These measures will reduce the likelihood of more children dying because of gun violence.
"Yesterday, Senator Murphy attempted to bring the House-passed bipartisan background checks bill to the floor, which was blocked by Republicans. It’s time we hold politicians accountable, including Senate Majority Leader McConnell, who refuses to let the Senate debate and vote on gun violence legislation."
