Suspected gunman — Omar Mateen
[Op-Ed]
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) condemns the easy access to guns that allowed a gunman to take the lives of fifty patrons and injure fifty-three at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
At approximately 2:00 am Sunday morning, an armed gunman entered the Pulse Orlando Night Club & Ultra Lounge -a prominent LGBT bar in Orlando – and opened fire on the club goers with a high-capacity weapon and handgun.
The gunman took hostages in the nightclub before authorities from the Orlando Police Department entered and killed the suspected assailant. The mass killing resulted in fifty people dead and fifty-three transported to a nearby hospital with injuries, making it the worst mass shooting in America’s history.
“The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence’s board, members, and employees, are devastated at the horror that resulted from this tragedy,” said Executive Director Josh Horwitz. “Our thoughts are with the families, the Orlando community, and the entire state of Florida.”
Over the coming hours and days we will learn more about the shooter and his possible motives. What we do know is that, once again, an angry young man had easy access to guns and used those guns to kill dozens of innocent people.
“Having been connected to what used to be the worst mass shooting in America’s history and witnessing the devastation it caused across Virginia” said CSGV Virginia State Director Lori Haas, whose daughter was shot and injured in the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech University.
“It pains me to witness the scenes that are coming out of Central Florida. I am furious that we live in a country where these tragedies occur at such a high rate, yet our elected officials, beholden to an irresponsible gun lobby, still refuse to act.”
The shooting took place nearly 24 hours following the high profile killing of The Voice star 22-year old Christina Grimmie at a concert venue only miles away from the scene of Sunday’s mass tragedy.
This weekend in Orlando illustrates the high price that Americans continue to pay for the their leader’s failure to pass stronger gun laws.
