Senator Agard Responds to Boulder Shooting, Calls for Immediate Action on Gun Safety in Wisconsin

MADISON – Yesterday, a gunman attacked a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado that killed ten people and invoked trauma on countless others. This immediately follows six other mass shootings in as many days, including one in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) condemned this act and called for immediate action to address gun safety measures in Wisconsin:

“It’s time to stop talking and start doing. Gun safety legislation saves lives. I am thinking of those who lost their lives and those who were impacted by the shooting in Boulder, Colorado yesterday at the hands of a domestic terrorist,” Senator Agard stated. “It is a condemnation of our country and our gun laws that we are no longer surprised or shocked by mass shootings.”

“In addition to this tragedy, we have seen mass shootings across our country, including in our own state just in the past week. Right here in Wisconsin, our Oconomowoc community is grieving due to senseless violence. This is an epidemic, and it has to stop. It is time to get serious about creating real change and passing lifesaving gun reforms immediately.”

The statistics are clear:

• In states where common sense gun safety legislation has been enacted, gun violence has gone down by 40%. (Making Our Communities Safer, Americans for Responsible Solutions)
• Background checks have stopped over 2.4 million gun sales to prohibited people including felons and domestic abusers. (Mayors Against Illegal Guns, No Strings Attached, September 2013)
• In states that require criminal background checks on all handgun sales, 46 percent fewer women are fatally shot by their partners, 48 percent fewer police are killed with handguns, and 64 percent fewer guns traced to crime are trafficked out of state. (Everytown for Gun Safety, Background Checks Reduce Crime and Save Lives, January 2015)

“As we begin to see life opening back up, our new reality cannot be the reality we were living in pre-COVID, with shootings occurring daily, and becoming a part of our everyday lives – and shamefully not even leading the news cycle. It is time for bold action to stop gun violence. We must have the courage and political will to do the right thing. ”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.