Rally For Gun Sense Set For Aug. 18 In Nyack

NYACK, NY – A rally at Veterans Memorial Park in Nyack will be held Aug. 18 in response to the recent mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas. The event is part of a national protest in hundreds of communities across the country.

"We're hoping that this rally will make a statement, will get the Senate to take action," said Jaydn Turner, 14, of Students Demand Action Rockland.

The rally, organized by volunteers with New York chapters of Students and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will also honor the Americans who are shot and killed every day and hundreds more who are wounded.

This is a public health crisis, organizers said.

In recent weeks, gun violence has devastated Baltimore, Gilroy, Canoga Park, Newport News, Brooklyn and Chicago. So far in 2019, 8,930 people have been killed in gun violence across the USA, including in 255 mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive.

It's both a moral and a personal issue for Turner, whose cousin Alyssa Alhadeff was killed last year in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Alyssa was in her freshman English class when the gunman rampaged through the school.

"She was 14," said her cousin, who attends Nyack High School. "She was an amazing soccer player, really really good. She'd been playing just about since she could walk." The two girls were close when Alyssa lived in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. "She loved the beach. We used to go to LBI, our grandparents had houses there."

Her cousin's death motivated Turner to help form a group in Rockland County, Youth Against Gun Violence. The group became part of Students Demand Gun Sense in September.

Turner was at a national conference called Gun Sense University last weekend when the El Paso shootings occurred.

"We had 2,000 people there, people who are passionate about making a difference on this issue," she said.

She invites students from all over Rockland to get involved.

The rally Aug. 18 is a good place to start whether you're a student or not.

• WHAT: A rally to honor the lives cut short by gun violence and demand common-sense gun reform. Volunteers will demand action from their senators to pass a strong federal Red Flag bill and legislation to require background checks on all gun sales.
• WHERE: Veterans Memorial Park at the clock, 15 Cedar St. (corner of Main Street), Nyack, New York
• WHEN: 4 p.m. Aug. 18

About Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Students Demand Action is a national initiative, created by and for teens and young adults, to channel the energy and passion of high school and college-aged students into the fight against gun violence. Students Demand Action volunteers work within their schools and communities to educate their peers, register voters and demand common-sense solutions to this national crisis. Together with Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Students Demand Action volunteers are part of a network of nearly 6 million supporters across the nation committed to gun violence prevention. For more information or to get involved visit www.studentsdemandaction.org.

About Everytown for Gun Safety

Everytown is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 6 million supporters and more than 350,000 donors including moms, mayors, survivors and everyday Americans who are fighting for public safety measures that can help save lives. At the core of Everytown are Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Students Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network. Learn more at www.everytown.org and follow us @Everytown

About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our families. Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Students Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network, it is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 5 million supporters and more than 350,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter at @MomsDemand

SEE ALSO:

• El Paso Shooting: How To Help And Scams To Avoid
• El Paso Absorbs More Grief As Shooting Deaths Climb To 22
• Dayton Mass Shooting: Hate Ruled Out, Motive Still A Mystery
• Gilroy Gunman Targeted Slew Of Groups In Domestic Terror: FBI
• Florida Shooting Is About Guns, Students Demanding Change Say