Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Statement on Recent Gun Violence

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety grassroots networks, released the following joint statement with the California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (AAPILC) on the recent shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, and its impact on AAPI communities.

“We are holding space in our hearts for the lives we’ve lost this week and those impacted by gun violence everywhere,” said Sun Chambers, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “In a week when we should be celebrating new beginnings, our community is mourning. I am proud to stand with lawmakers and work together to take action because we cannot continue losing loved ones to senseless acts of gun violence. We must hold those in the gun industry accountable for their role in our gun violence crisis.”

“The two recent shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay have been traumatic experiences for our Californian AAPI communities. We encourage our communities to stand in solidarity with one another through these times of tragic hardship,” said Assemblymember Evan Low, Chair of the Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. “The Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus is committed to serving the needs and interests of our AAPI communities and will continue to advocate for the end of gun violence as we fight for justice.”

The tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay have impacted AAPI communities directly, in unimaginable ways during a time when these communities were gathering with loved ones and celebrating joy, hope, and new beginnings. As Californians, we must be united now more than ever to eradicate gun violence as we know it.

While we are continuing to learn more about the tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, it is impossible to deny how both have been made deadlier by a gun industry that has only made its products more dangerous over the years — highlighting the need for gun industry accountability at the national level. California Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers look forward to working with lawmakers to pass gun safety policies that protect communities and California families throughout the state.

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