New York, NY - June 12, 2016 - NYAGV joins with President Obama and all Americans to express our horror following the deadliest mass shooting in our nation’s history that took place early this morning in Orlando. We know that at least fifty people were slaughtered and another 53 grievously wounded. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims.
This was a hate crime committed by an American-born male legally armed with an AR-15 military-style assault rifle equipped with a high capacity ammunition magazine. What made this act of hatred so deadly is the nature of the weapon used, designed by the military for the military.
We make it far too easy for angry, hate-filled individuals to legally obtain these highly lethal weapons that were designed to kill as many humans as quickly and efficiently as possible on the battlefield. Yet they have been used time after time to slaughter Americans in our schools, houses of worship, movie theaters, malls and nightclubs. Any shooting, whether it is deemed a mass shooting or not, is an act of terrorism to the person being shot, to their friends and family, and to their communities. When will we learn that motive is moot? It’s the means that we need to restrict.
We are sick and tired of writing these statements. This time, let’s channel our anger to demand that our leaders immediately renew and strengthen the 1994 ban on military-style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines that expired in 2004, and impose background checks on all firearms purchasers, including those on the Terrorist Watch List.