As Valentine's Day Nears, Moms Ask Congress To Heal Their Broken Hearts And Urge Action On Safer Gun Laws

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, there have been at least 44 school shootings – 13 in the first six weeks of 2014 alone.

On Wednesday, February 12 – as lockdown drills continue to become a part of the routine for schools across the country – moms will come together with elected officials in Washington, D.C. to call attention to the countless broken hearts that have resulted from Congress' failure to take action to prevent gun violence. Moms will demand that Congress pass measures proven to save lives and keep communities safe – like background checks on all gun sales. Moms will also submit handmade Valentine's to members of Congress to share their heartbroken messages.

Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns will also release an analysis of school shootings in America, exploring the frequency of these events, at what grade-level they are occurring and how the perpetrators of gun violence are acquiring firearms.

What: Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns release an analysis of school shootings in America since the massacre in Newtown ahead of Valentine's Day. Moms will call on Congress to heal their broken hearts by taking action to prevent gun violence.

Who:   

• Shannon Watts, Founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
• Carlee Soto, sister of Newtown victim and Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Soto
• David Esquith, Director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students
• Senator Chris Murphy (CT)
• Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (NY)

When:     Wednesday, February 12, 2014
               10:30 – 11:00 AM

Where:    Cannon Room 421
               Cannon House Office Building

About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Much like Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created to change laws regarding drunk driving, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was created to build support for common-sense gun reforms. The nonpartisan grassroots movement of American mothers is demanding new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. In just one year, the organization has more than 140,000 members with a chapter in every state in the country. The group recently announced it is joining forces with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter @MomsDemand

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors of major American cities to more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters – making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country. The bipartisan coalition, founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united mayors, gun violence survivors and everyday Americans around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns. The group recently joined forces with Moms Demand Action, the leading grassroots movement of American mothers working to prevent gun violence. Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org or on Twitter @DemandAction

CONTACT: Stacey Radnor: sradnor@maig.org or 202-870-6668

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns