The Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, on Friday released statements in response to reports of a shooting in Valhermoso Springs that left seven people dead.
“This is another sad reminder of the continued toll that gun violence is taking on Alabamian families,” said Dana Ellis, a volunteer with Alabama Moms Demand Action. “Our hearts are with the families and communities torn apart by this terrible shooting, and we’re committed to honoring them with action to help end the gun violence epidemic in America.”
“Senseless gun violence has devastated far too many communities across our state and across the country, and our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this horrible shooting,” said Makayla Jordan, a volunteer leader with Birmingham Students Demand Action. “We’ll fight even harder for common-sense gun safety policies that will save lives.”
Everytown for Gun Safety said their research shows this is at least the 231st mass shooting since January 2009. This is believed to be the largest mass shooting event in Alabama since 11 were killed in Samson in 2009.
Everytown says that in a typical day in the U.S., on average, more than 100 people are killed with guns, and hundreds more are wounded. Most of those deaths are suicides and not murders.
Everytown defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot and killed, excluding the shooter.
An analysis of mass shootings from 2009 to 2018 shows there were a total of 194 mass shootings, which left 1,121 people dead and an additional 836 people wounded.
At least 14,542 Americans were gunned down by firearms in homicides in 2017, and 23,854 used their guns to end their own lives that year. Another 436 were killed by accidental firearm discharges.
Eliminating firearms will not end murder or suicide in America, however, as 4,968 Americans were killed in murders in 2017 that did not involve firearms, and 6,554 Americans died by suicide by intentional poisoning, and 13,075 Americans died by suicide by strangulation or suffocation.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department on Friday identified six of the seven people who were found shot to dead in a burning home in rural Morgan County late Thursday night.
Six of the victims were adults and the seventh is a 17-year-old girl.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office released a statement Friday afternoon with the identities of six of the seven dead.
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, authorities said that they do not have any suspects in custody but do not believe that there is a larger threat to the community.
The house was reportedly believed to be involved in the illegal drug trade. The victims were shot multiple times and a dog was also shot to death at the scene.
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund (“Everytown for Gun Safety”) is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country and claims nearly six million supporters and more than 375,000 donors including moms, mayors, survivors, students, and everyday Americans who are fighting for common-sense gun safety measures that can help save lives.
Most Americans who own guns would argue that the Constitution’s bill of rights guarantees that every American is born with a constitutionally guaranteed right to own and possess firearms under the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
