Two years ago today, a white supremacist used an assault weapon to murder 51 people at two New Zealand mosques.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern immediately moved to ban assault weapons.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., we continue to suffer senseless massacres using these weapons.
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Time and time again, assault weapons are used in the deadliest mass shootings in America.
They are a weapon choice for America's mass shooters because they are uniquely lethal, allowing the most murders in the shortest amount of time. #BanAssaultWeapons
In shootings in which assault weapons or high-capacity magazines are used, 155% more people are shot and 47% people are killed compared to those without them.
JUST IN: The Senate will meet on March 23 to discuss action to prevent gun violence. This comes just as we observe 40 years since Jim Brady was shot on 3/31/81.
Our senators have the chance to honor Jim Brady and save countless lives by strengthening his namesake Brady Bill.
On that gloomy March day in 1981, Jim was partially paralyzed for life. Afterward, he and his wife, Sarah, dedicated the rest of their lives to Jim's health — and the health of our country. They took on the NRA and won the Brady Bill. bradyunited.org/podcast/episod…
To date, the Brady Bill and its Brady Background Check system have blocked 4 million gun sales to people who should not possess firearms, saving countless lives.
But deadly gaps in background checks still allow guns into the hands of people who shouldn't have them.
6 years ago today, the world lost the incredible Jim Brady.
In 1981, Jim was shot in the head in the assassination attempt on Reagan. He spent the rest of his life fighting for stronger gun laws — winning his namesake Brady Bill.
When Jim Brady died 6 years ago today in 2014, his death was ruled a gun homicide from complications from the shooting. He had been paralyzed that day, but he and his wife, Sarah, turned the tragedy into a movement. #EndGunViolencebradyunited.org/podcast/episod…
Jim and Sarah recognized it wasn't just Jim’s life that needed saving. Lifelong Republicans, they learned that America was suffering senseless bloodshed because of weak gun laws and a reckless gun lobby. In fact, Jim aptly called the NRA the "Evil Empire." #EndGunViolence
Many guests at tonight's #SOTU are survivors of gun violence. So even if Trump refuses to address gun violence — an epidemic that's killed 120k people since he took office — its presence in the room will be felt deeply.