WASHINGTON — President Biden spoke at the National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence Wednesday evening in the District.
Dec. 14, which is just one week away, marks 10 years since the tragedy that left 20 children, ages 6-11, and six adults dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut.
That grim 10-year milestone comes on the heels of two separate mass shootings that occurred just this past month including the Walmart shooting in Chesapeake, Virginia, where seven were killed, and the LGBTQ+ nightclub shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado where five were killed. And of course the shooting in May, where 19 children, ages 9-11, and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Each year since 2013, the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation (NAAF), aka the charitable arm of the Newtown Action Alliance (NAA), and a long list of partners in the gun violence prevention community have sponsored the National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.
These multidenominational events held in Washington bring together survivors of gun violence, victims' family members, concerned citizens, faith leaders, lawmakers, leaders of gun violence prevention organizations, and activists from across the nation.
President Biden is the first President to attend the annual event and was introduced by Jackie Haggerty who was a second-grade survivor of the Sandy Hook shooting.
"Guns are now the number one killer of children in America," Haggerty told those gathered at St. Mark's Church in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. "And we are asked to be brave while hiding under our desks in our classrooms while too many elected officials lack the courage to pass common-sense laws to save our lives," she said before introducing the President to the packed crowd of a few hundred.
"Events like this are hard. They’re hard for all of you," Biden told the crowd.
Biden said he wants more than the bipartisan gun bill passed earlier this year and called for a renewed ban on assault-style weapons – something Congress passed in the 90s but did not renew.
"A lot of people’s lives were saved. We can do it again," Biden said.
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Here is a robust list of partners of the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation and the Newtown Action Alliance:
AAPI Victory Alliance, Advocates for Change, Alliance for Gun Responsibility, American Association of Suicidology, American Gun Safety Association, Amnesty International USA, Baltimore Washington Conference-The United Methodist Church, Bishops United Against Gun Violence, Blessed Ministries & Blessed Devotions, Brady, Brady Campaign Stanislaus County California, BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz, The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, Campaign to Unload, Ceasefire Oregon, CeaseFirePA Education Fund, Center for American Progress, Chicago Survivors Org., Chi-Town GVP Summit, Against Gun Violence-A Santa Barbara County Coalition, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Community Justice Action Fund, Community of Sant'Egidio, Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence, CT Against Gun Violence, Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, The ENOUGH Campaign, Episcopal Diocese of Washington, Episcopal Peace Fellowship, Equality California, Everytown Survivor Network, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, Falmouth Gun Safety Coalition, Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Franciscan Action Network, Gays Against Guns, Generation Progress, Georgians for Gun Safety, Giffords, Grandmothers Against Gun Violence-Cape Cod, Grandparents for Gun Safety KS & MO, Gun Safety Alliance, Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee, Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, Gun Violence Prevention PAC, GunSenseVermont, Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation, Herndon Reston Citizens Against Gun Violence, Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, International Health & Epidemiology Research Center, Jewish Women International, Journey 4ward, The Joyce Foundation, Jr Newtown Action Alliance, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Gun Safety Coalition, Maine Veterans for Peace, March for Our Lives, March For Our Lives DC, March For Our Lives Virginia, March Fourth, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, Micah Leadership Council, Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Mothers United Against Violence, National Council of Jewish Women, National Equality Action Team (NEAT), No Weapon #1Life Empowerment Foundation, #NoRA, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, On Earth Peace, Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, One Aim Illinois, People for Safer Society, Protect Minnesota, Project Unloaded, Psychiatrists for Gun Violence Prevention, Purpose Over Pain, Rabbinical Assembly, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Regina's Place, Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, Riley Howell Foundation Fund, Safer Country, San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention, Sandy Hook Promise, Silver State Equality-Nevada, of ST. Francis Justice, Peace and Care for Creation Committee, Sisters of Mercy of the Americans, Srs. of St. Joseph of Carondelet, The Soul Box Project, St. Marks Episcopal Church Capitol Hill DC, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Stop Handgun Violence, Survivors Empowered, Survivors Lead, Survivor Smiles, Teachers Unity to End Gun Violence, Team Enough, Temple Micah, Temple Sinai,Temple Sinai DC Area Interfaith GVP Group, Tennessee Gamechangers United for Justice and Equality, Texas Gun Sense, The United Methodist Church -- General Board of Church and Society, This Is Our Lane, Union for Reform Judaism, Urban Word NYC, Violent Crime Survivors, Vision Quilt, Washington National Cathedral, WAVE Educational Fund, Women's March, Woman's National Democratic Club, and Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice.