FOUR YEARS AFTER PULSE SHOOTING, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST ACT

Pride Fund Statement on the Four Year Anniversary of the Pulse Shooting

ORLANDO, FL / WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 12, 2020 -- Today marks four years since a gunman murdered 49 people, injured 53 others, and emotionally scarred hundreds at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in American history, but it has since been surpassed by the Las Vegas shooting in 2017.

In the four years since the tragedy in Orlando, the only federal actions that have been taken are the implementation of a ban on bump stocks and the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives this year of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019. While these vital, encouraging pieces of legislation were passed in the House of Representatives, the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to consider discussing or voting on the bills. Meanwhile, many states have taken action by passing legislation, including “Red Flag” laws that temporarily remove guns from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others. We certainly applaud the positive efforts to make our communities safer from gun violence.

“Too little has been done in the years after the Pulse massacre to ensure nothing like it occurs again. It is the duty of our nation’s leaders to remember and honor the lives lost four years ago at Pulse, and in all gun tragedies. We must honor the lives lost with action. On the anniversary of this horrific event, Pride Fund to End Gun Violence and our Board of Advisors, which includes both survivors of the attack and family members of those who were killed, call on our nation’s leaders to enact legislation that will address the epidemic of gun violence,” said Jason Lindsay, Founder and Executive Director.

These measures must include:

  • Passing the Bipartisan Background Checks Act

  • Passing the Enhanced Background Checks Act

  • Banning assault weapons

  • Banning large capacity magazines

  • Prohibiting those convicted of hate crimes from purchasing guns

  • Prohibiting suspected terrorists from purchasing guns

The Pulse community and the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence will not rest until we make progress on these life-saving measures.