Guns And Women: Events Across The Country To Focus On Role Of Guns In Violence Against Women

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Will Release a New Ad and Research Findings on How Weak Gun Laws Turn Domestic Abuse into Murder; www.DemandAction.org

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As national lawmakers are back in their home states and districts on recess, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing its push for commonsense gun laws by highlighting the disturbing link between domestic violence and guns. The bipartisan coalition – along with the Center for American Progress in some states – is hosting events across the country featuring mayors, faith leaders, moms, law enforcement officials, gun violence survivors and family members of victims who will speak out about the need for comprehensive and enforceable background checks.       

In conjunction with these events, the coalition will also release new research findings and an ad featuring Elvin Daniel, a gun owner and NRA member whose sister Zina Daniel was murdered in the Brookfield, Wis., spa shooting in October 2012 by her estranged husband.

List of events happening across the country (all times local):

ARIZONA

Phoenix
What: Press Conference
Who: State Senator Katie Hobbs, Executive Director AZ Coalition Against Domestic Allie Bones and domestic violence survivors
When: 10:00 AM
Where: Senate Lawn, Capitol Building, 1700 West Washington

Tucson
What: Press Conference with Center for American Progress             
Who: State Senator Olivia Cajero-Bedford, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Arkadi Gerney and Tuscon shooting survivors: Pam Simon, Daniel Hernandez and Pat Maisch
When: 11:00 AM
Where: Safeway, 7110 N Oracle Rd.

INDIANA

Fort Wayne
What: Anti-Domestic Violence Round Table
Who: Urban League President and CEO Jonathan Ray, local supporters
When: 2:00 PM
Where: Urban League of Fort Wayne, 2135 South Hanna St.

Indianapolis
What: Anti-Domestic Violence Round Table
Who: Faith leaders, local supporters
When: 1:00 PM
Where: Penn Arts Building - 111 E. 16th Street

South Bend
Event: Press Conference with Center for American Progress
Who: Center for American Progress President and CEO Tom Perriello, gun violence survivor Professor Stephen Miller, Moms Demand Action member Stephanie Polito and Pastor Janice Sutter
When: 11:00 AM
Where: Court House, 101 S Main St.

LOUISIANA

Baton Rouge
What: Roundtable and Lunch with Center for American Progress
Who: Center for American Progress Action Fund Executive Director Tara McGuiness, Rev. Dr. Joe Connelly, gun violence survivor Judge Freddie Pitcher, Jr., and founder of Doctors Against Gun Violence Dr. Pritesh Gandhi
When: 12:00 PM
Where: Wesley United Methodist Church, 544 Government

MAINE

Portland
What: Roundtable
Who: Moms Demand Action, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Maine Council of Churches
When: 9:30 AM
Where: Bintliffs Diner - 98 Portland Street

NEVADA

Reno
What: Event with Center for American Progress 
Who: Danielle Baussan and Emily Sussman of the Center for American Progress
When: 6:30 PM                  
Where: University of Nevada Student Union

NORTH CAROLINA

Cary
What: Roundtable
Who: Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe, gun violence survivor Kim Yaman and domestic violence prevention advocate Kit Gruelle
When: 1:15 PM
Where: Private residence, please contact [email protected] for address

OHIO

Columbus
What: Roundtable and Ad Screening
Who: Moms Demand Action and local supporters
When: 3:00 PM
Where: Progress Ohio Conference Room, 172 E. State Street, 6th Floor

PENNSYLVANIA

Farrell
What: Press Conference
Who: Mayor Olive McKeithan, Farrell Police Chief Riley Smoot, Mercer County DA Robert Kochem and Sharon Police Chief Menster
When: 1:00 PM
Where: City Hall, 500 Roemer Blvd.

Media
What: Press Conference with Center for American Progress
Who: Swarthmore Mayor Rick Lowe, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Patrick Murphy, CeaseFirePA Executive Director Shira Goodman, advocates and gun violence survivors Terry Rumsay, Shawn Kraemer and Ralph Mero
When: 11:00 AM
Where: Media Town House, 117 Veterans Square

Scranton
What: Press Conference
Who: Scranton Mayoral Candidate Bill Courtright, other speakers TBA
When: 12:00 PM
Where: Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Ave.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston
What: Roundtable with Center for American Progress
Who: State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, National Organizing Director on Gun Violence Prevention Lance Orchid, gun violence survivors Lori Haas and Marie Tate and Army veteran Brandon Upson
When: 11:00 AM
Where: Felix Pinckney Community Center, 4764 Hassell Ave, North Charleston

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors 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.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

CONTACTS
Erika Soto Lamb: [email protected] or 646-580-5281
Alex Katz: [email protected] or 617-721-3779

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns