Mayor Mims joins Mayors Against Illegal Guns in support of ending gun violence

 

These leaders implement and advocate for life-saving gun safety reforms from local programs and municipal ordinances to local, state, and federal legislation. While their backgrounds may differ, they speak with one voice – united against gun violence for the sake of saving lives.

 

“Illegal guns continue to harm and threaten the safety of communities like Dayton,” said Mayor Mims. “As a Vietnam Veteran and legal gun owner, I am committed to advocating for responsible gun ownership by supporting common sense gun safety legislation. This is the best tool at our disposal to reduce gun violence and save innocent lives.”

 

By early February, more people are killed with guns in the United States than are killed with guns in any other high-income country in an entire year. And millions more are shot and wounded, threatened with a gun, or witness an act of gun violence. The gun death rate in the United States is 13 times that of our peer countries.

 

“Behind every staggering gun violence statistic are the stories of individuals, families and communities who live with the lifelong trauma from gun violence,” said Keenon M. James, director of the Everytown Survivor Network. “I know their pain because in 1993, my brother, Sean, was shot and killed in Takoma Park, Maryland. More than just my brother, he was a son, a husband, a father, and a friend. By joining Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Mayor Mims is showing his commitment to stand with families like mine across the country and demand action on gun violence. “

 

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Mayor Mims, a true ally in the gun violence prevention movement, to Mayors Against Illegal Guns,” said Susie Lane, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in Dayton. “It’s clear the Dayton community is bearing the weight of the gun violence crisis every day, and it will not end until we take meaningful steps to advance gun safety measures. We are excited to continue working with Mayor Mims to protect the Dayton community from gun violence.”

 

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors of major American cities to more than 1,000 current and former mayors. The nonpartisan coalition has united mayors around these common goals: advancing enforcement and data collection strategies to prevent gun violence; investing in survivor services and violence intervention programs to address gun violence; and advocating for gun safety legislation at the local, state, and federal level. Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a joint program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with over eight million supporters and more than 375,000 donors. Learn more at mayors.everytown.org

 

Moments That Survive (at momentsthatsurvive.org) is a digital storytelling site and campaign in which Americans across the country share defining details of their experiences, in their own words. Moments That Survive builds community among gun violence survivors and helps the public understand how everyday life changes as a result of gun violence. All told, 58 percent of American adults, including 68 percent of Black and Latinx Americans, are survivors of gun violence, either experiencing gun violence themselves or caring for someone who has experienced gun violence in their lifetime.