Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence joined CeasefirePA and over a dozen community organizations to tell Senator Toomey that in the wake of widespread gun violence throughout our communities--intentional shootings, suicides, or preventable tragedies caused by failure to store firearms safely or by a lack of knowledge about firearms--thoughts and prayers are not enough. We called on Senator Toomey to support two bills in the U.S. Senate--S. 42, which will close the federal loophole allowing private sales of firearms without background checks, and S. 506, which would allow family members to petition a court for temporary removal of firearms from at-risk individuals after a court hearing--that would dramatically curtail gun violence across all populations.
SHSAGV also joined Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace and Peanut Butter & Jelly Ground Zero to hear the voices of gun violence survivors, remember victims and meet allies in this work. Members hosted a table and reached out to those interested in joining in our mission.