Vigil Set to Honor Victims of Gun Violence

A candlelight vigil to remember the victims of gun violence and mass shootings in America is planned to take place on the steps of Sarasota’s federal building Thursday evening.

The Nov. 12 event at 111 S. Orange Ave. is being staged by members and friends of the Sarasota County Chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The vigil is open to anyone who would like to attend the event, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m., organizers say.

In addition to remembering those who have died, the group hopes to capture the attention of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, whose offices are located in the federal building.

“It is hoped that he will hear about the group’s efforts to secure background checks for all gun purchases, among other gun-safety activities,” chapter president David H. Evans wrote in a statement about the event. The Sarasota chapter is the only Florida chapter of the Brady Campaign, an organization dedicated to curbing gun violence.

Attendees of Thursday’s event will be provided with candles and signs by the chapter.

“Thirty one people are murdered with guns on average every day in this country, according to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and reported by the national Brady campaign,” Evans wrote. “Many Americans, nationally and locally, have decried the recent mass shootings in schools, churches, movie theaters, military bases and on our city streets. This is an opportunity to get involved -- for one evening or for longer -- in an attempt to bring about change.”

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan’s press secretary Jim Brady. Brady was shot during an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981.

For more information about the Brady Campaign, visit it online at www.bradycampaign.org.

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