01 Oct 1 October Anniversary Reminds Us We Have a Long Way To Go To End Gun Violence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1st, 2023
Contact: Amber Falgout, afalgout@battlebornprogress.org, 775.657.0433
1 October Anniversary Reminds Us We Have a Long Way To Go To End Gun Violence
LAS VEGAS, NV – On the 6th anniversary of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting, we are reminded that we have a long way to go in terms of tackling gun violence in America. Despite some reforms that have been achieved both federally and locally, we are still seeing continued mass shootings across the country. It is also clear that many of the mass shootings committed are perpetrated by individuals who have purchased the firearms used in the shootings legally. President Biden’s newly created White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention is a good step toward ensuring we take a holistic approach to this issue. Additionally, during Nevada’s 82nd Legislative Session, two firearm bills were passed but ended up being vetoed by Governor Lombardo. It is worth nothing Governor Lombardo was the Las Vegas Metropolitan Sheriff on October 1st, 2017.
Paula Luna, Interim Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:
“October 1st is always a difficult day filled with strong emotions in Nevada. For the Las Vegas community, this day will always be reminiscent of the horrific mass shooting that occurred six years ago. The Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting rocked the community and demonstrated that gun violence can impact anyone, event concertgoers. Since the shooting, we have worked to improve gun safety laws and end the gun violence epidemic. In the 2019 Nevada Legislative session SB143 requires almost all private-party gun transfers or sales to be run through a state-administered background check conducted by a federally licensed firearms dealer. AB291, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, a 1 October survivor, was passed in the 2019 session and banned bump stocks in addition to enacting extreme risk protection orders. Both of these measures sought to address gun violence through multiple avenues. In the 2021 Nevada Legislative session, we saw a need to address ghost guns, which are unserialized firearms that gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. AB286, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, made it unlawful to manufacture, assemble, or cause to be manufactured or assembled, an unserialized firearm and was passed and signed by then-Governor Steve Sisolak. This measure is currently being challenged in Nevada courts. Most recently, we have worked on three measures in the 82nd Nevada Legislative Session that sought to reduce gun violence and threats of gun violence in Nevada. Assembly Floor Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui carried two bills aimed at addressing gun violence this year, AB354, and AB355. AB354 sought to protect Nevadans by cracking down on dangerous ghost gun loopholes and protect our election workers and Nevadans’ right to vote by prohibiting guns in polling places. AB355 sought to make Nevadans safer by prohibiting anyone under 21 years old from owning an assault weapon with exceptions for members of the armed forces and law enforcement. We are grateful to the Assemblywoman for her continued leadership and dedication to addressing gun violence. Senator Dallas Harris sponsored SB171 which sought to prohibit anyone convicted of a hate crime from owning, purchasing, or possessing a firearm for 10 years. We are grateful to Senator Harris for her strong leadership and willingness to tackle this issue. Ultimately, all three gun safety measures were passed and then vetoed by current Governor Joe Lombardo. It was horrifying that these measures were quickly vetoed and that there was no thought given to the need to improve public safety through commonsense gun safety policies.”
“Despite the setback we saw this year, we are committed to improving gun violence in Nevada through commonsense measures and advocacy. It is also clear that we need to look at all possible solutions including taking a holistic approach to ending gun violence. Treating it as a public health issue can help us address this issue in a comprehensive way. As we see so many mass shootings committed each year by perpetrators who purchase firearms legally, we must look for creative ways to address this issue. We stand with all of the survivors as we call on all of our leaders to look for solutions. We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for recently enacting the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention as this will hopefully take us down a road federally toward finding solutions to end gun violence. We will always be Vegas Strong and we will always continue fighting to make our communities safer on the local and federal level.”
ABOUT ROUTE 91 HARVEST FESTIVAL MASS SHOOTING: The Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting is still the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. On October 1st, 2017, 58 people were killed and over 800 were injured when a shooter opened fire during a Jason Aldean performance on the last night of the Route 91 Harvest Festival. In the years that followed, an additional three people succumbed to injuries sustained during the mass shooting.
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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages, and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://battlebornprogress.org/.