The Missouri Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the below statement today in response to a Thursday night mass shooting in Texas County, Missouri, in which seven people were shot and killed and one person was shot and injured across four nearby homes. The 36-year-old gunman subsequently committed suicide in Shannon County.
This incident is one of at least 125 mass shootings that have occurred in America since 2009. A previously released report from Everytown for Gun Safety provides a comprehensive analysis of incidents in which four or more people were murdered with a gun, a widely-used definition of mass shootings from the FBI.
STATEMENT FROM ERIN GREGORY, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE MISSOURI CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION:
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. While details are still unfolding, last night’s tragic mass shooting took the lives of seven innocent people and injured another. Instead of putting more guns in more places, Missouri should focus on working to keep guns out of dangerous hands, which would help prevent future tragedies. It’s time we stand up for the safety of Missourians and work to reduce gun violence that claims the lives of innocent people across our state.”
STATEMENT FROM TED ALCORN, RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:
“Mass shootings capture the media’s attention because of their extraordinary violence, but deaths in these incidents represent just a small share of total U.S. gun homicides,” said Ted Alcorn, research director for Everytown for Gun Safety. “Eighty-eight people are killed with guns on an average day in America, and this represents a true public health crisis in our country.”
