Community Corner
In Worcester, Moms Demand Kick Off National Gun Violence Survivor Week
The week highlights the high levels of gun violence in the U.S. and Massachusetts, and potential solutions to the problem.
WORCESTER, MA — The Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action kicked off National Gun Violence Survivor Week over the weekend, a period that recognizes people affected by gun violence and aims and increase gun safety.
Saturday's event drew local elected officials including U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, state Sen. Michael Moore, D-Worcester, and Mayor Joseph Petty, who read a proclamation highlighting the importance of the week. Petty highlighted that more than 250 in Massachusetts die each year due to gun violence, and that more people die in the U.S. by gun violence over the first two months of each year than any other peer country.
Whether it’s a movie theater in Colorado, an elementary school in Texas, a concert in Nevada, or even right here in Massachusetts, gun violence touches every zip code in America. I spoke to @MomsDemand MA in Worcester about the work ahead creating a safer & more peaceful future. pic.twitter.com/y60v8UjS0W
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) February 4, 2023
Survivors of gun violence also attended, including Bridget McDonald, who experience an armed robbery at McDonald's, and Tia Christiansen, who was staying in the Mandalay Bay hotel room next to Stephen Paddock as the 2017 Route 91 Harvest festival mass shooting happened.
Later this year, Moms Demand Action will hold an advocacy day on March 29 and a "wear orange weekend" beginning June 2. The color orange is linked to Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed in Chicago in 2013.
Find out more about the National Gun Violence Survivor Week on the Moms Demand Action website.
