Local News

Chapel Hill takes part in new movement for gun safety

Mayors and moms across the country are joining together to advocate for more gun-violence prevention with the launch Wednesday of a new community group called "Everytown for Gun Safety."

Posted Updated

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Mayors and moms across the country are joining together to advocate for more gun-violence prevention with the launch Wednesday of a new community group called "Everytown for Gun Safety."

Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, victims of gun violence, faith leaders and lawmakers gathered in Chapel Hill – one of 10 across the country – to mark the occasion.

Spearheaded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Everytown is a national grassroots effort of more than 1.5 million local leaders, parents, educators, gun owners and everyday people working to make their communities safer. Its goal, the organization says, is to reduce the number of Americans killed daily – the group says 86 – as a result of gun violence.

Bloomberg has pledged $50 million to the group, which plans to mobilize voters to back candidates and ballot measures supporting such causes as enhancing background checks for gun buyers. The group also plans to issue candidate questionnaires and scorecards and form a political action committee.

The National Rifle Association had no immediate comment Wednesday but said it would respond at its annual meeting next week in Indianapolis.

Among those attending Wednesday's kick-off event in Chapel Hill was Giles Rousseau, whose 30-year-old daughter, Lauren, was a teacher among the 26 students and staff killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.