MEDIA AVAILABILITY ALERT: New Mexicans Affected by Gun Violence in Washington This Week to Demand That Congress Take Action to End Gun Violence

Mayor Gloria Chavez of Tijeras, Family Members Killed by Gun Violence, Will Attend the State of the Union with Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham

More than 120 Survivors and Family Members in DC as Part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' Demand A Plan Campaign; www.DemandAPlan.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Mexicans affected by gun violence will be part of more than 120 survivors and family members in Washington this week as part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' Demand A Plan campaign for common-sense gun law reforms that will help end the gun violence that kills 33 Americans every day. Survivors and family members are coming from 21 states and Washington, DC.

Mayor Gloria Chavez, who has lost two cousins, a brother and another family member to gun violence, will attend the State of the Union with Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham.  Chavez is the mayor of Tijeras and is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition. 

As part of their meetings with members of Congress this week, survivors and family members will advocate for legislation that will:

• Require every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check
• Get military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets
• Make gun trafficking a federal crime.

WHO: Mayor Gloria Chavez, multiple family members killed by gun violence
Debbie Kuidis, chaplain and former Albuquerque deputy chief of police

WHEN:   Monday-Wednesday, February 11-13, 2013

*** Please contact Mayors Against Illegal Guns for pre-SOTU analysis or post-SOTU reaction from survivors or family members***

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 850 mayors from across the country. We have more than a 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 their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable; demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.  Learn more at www.DemandAPlan.org

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns