During Gun Violence Awareness Week, Congresswoman Lee Brings Together Survivors, Students, Advocates, and Law Enforcement for Community Discussion
Click here to download pictures from today’s event
LAS VEGAS – Today, during Gun Violence Awareness Week, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) brought together survivors, students, advocates, and law enforcement at the Spring Valley Library for a joint discussion of the gun violence epidemic’s impact on southern Nevada communities as well as solutions moving forward.
January 22nd to January 26th, 2024, commemorates the 6th annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week, which marks the time at which gun deaths in the United States surpass the number of gun deaths that our peer countries see in an entire year.
Just last month, three professors were killed and a fourth was critically injured in a shooting on the campus of University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in which thousands of students and faculty sheltered in place for hours. Over 500 people are killed by firearms in Nevada and 277 are wounded in a given year. Nationally, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens and contribute to over 40,000 total deaths annually.
“Like mothers all over this country, I worry every day about the possibility that tragedy could strike my son’s college campus as a result of our gun violence epidemic,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Everyone here today is critical to my work in Congress to end this sick cycle of violence. It’s my job to listen to families on the ground and elevate their work to better serve all southern Nevadans in Washington.”
Lee was joined by gun violence survivors, UNLV students, local law enforcement, and advocates of gun violence prevention.
Congresswoman Lee has championed gun violence prevention measures throughout her time in Congress. Last Congress, Congresswoman Lee helped negotiate and pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention legislation signed into law in nearly 30 years. This historic legislation expanded background check requirements for buyers under 21, supports state Red Flag laws, and funds behavioral and mental health services. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Lee announced awards to the State of Nevada of nearly $700,000 and more than $3 million as a result of this historic package. She has fought to build on Congress’s past progress and bring additional common-sense legislation to the House floor.
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