Statement on Shootings at Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom in Kansas City

NEW YORK, April 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released the following statement from Reverend Michelle Reed, a member of the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action in response to the shootings at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and Village Shalom where at least 3 people were killed today.     

"Kansans are still reeling from the breaking news that, on the eve of Passover, a gunman has killed at least three people at the JCC and Village Shalom  – our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones," said Reverend Reed. "We don't know all of the details yet, but we know that events like this remind us how none of us is immune -- gun violence knows no boundaries of religion, race, class or age.  We won't wait until our families or communities are affected by gun violence.  We demand -- right now -- to be safe from gun violence in our places of worship, in our community centers, and wherever we may go.  It's time for our political leaders to take immediate action to end this public health epidemic."

Major Gun Violence Anniversaries This Week:

Spokespeople Available:  

From Kansas

Reverend Michelle Reed is the pastor at the Woodland United Methodist Church in Wichita.  She is also an active member of the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action.

TerriLynn Barrett Miller is the chapter leader of Kansas Moms Demand Action.

Survivors of Gun Violence at Jewish Community Centers

Mindy Finkelstein is a survivor of the August 1999 shooting at the Los Angeles Jewish Community Center, where a white supremacist opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon in the lobby and wounded five people.  Finkelstein was a 16-year-old camp counselor at the time. The shooter was a felon -- thus prohibited by federal law to own a gun, but because he purchased his gun from a private seller at a gun show, he was not required to pass a background check.  Finkelstein now works for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. 

Stan Stumbo's daughter Cheryl Stumbo was shot and wounded at the Jewish Federation in Seattle in 2006, where one person was killed and five were injured. Stan is a gun owner who quit the National Rifle Association because of the organization's opposition to background checks.

National Gun Violence Leaders

John Feinblatt, Chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, previously served as Chief Policy Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.  Feinblatt leads former Mayor Bloomberg's national coalitions on guns.  He previously served as the Criminal Justice Coordinator for the City of New York and was the founding director of the Center for Court Innovation, the country's leading think tank devoted to problem solving justice.

Mark Glaze is Executive Director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.  Glaze is the son of a former federally licensed gun dealer in Colorado.  

Shannon Watts, Founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, is a 43-year-old mother of five children. Watts was not an activist or involved in gun issues prior to the shootings at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14, 2012. The day after the tragedy, she started a Facebook page called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Since then, Moms Demand Action has become a nonprofit organization with tens of thousands of members and more than 80 local chapters across the country. Watts' goal is for Moms Demand Action to become the Mothers Against Drunk Driving of safe gun laws.

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.

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 150,000 members with a chapter in every state in the country. The group recently joined 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.

CONTACT:

Erika Soto Lamb: [email protected] or 646-580-5281
Stacey Radnor: [email protected] or 202-870-6668

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns; Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America