ban-assault-weapons Ban military-style assault weapons

Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (retired), White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director (former), and Seattle Chief of Police (former) Gil Kerlikowske Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley Boston Police Commissioner (retired) Ed Davis New Orleans Chief of Police (retired) Ron Serpas Boston College Chief of Police and Boston Police Commissioner (retired) William Evans Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Chief of Police (retired) and Philadelphia Police Commissioner (retired) Charles Ramsey East Bridgewater Chief of Police (retired) Scott Allen Plymouth Chief of Police (retired) Mike Botieri Gloucester Chief of Police Edward Conley Jeffersontown, Ky., Police Major (retired) Brittney Garrett Rockport Chief of Police John Horvath Marblehead Chief of Police Dennis King Arlington Chief of Police (retired) Fredrick Ryan Flagler County, Fla., Sheriff (retired) James Manfre New York Police Lieutenant (retired) Joanne Naughton Canton, Miss., Police Assistant Chief (retired) Juan Cloy Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Officer (retired) Ronald E. Hampton Rochester, N.Y., Police Chief (retired) Wayne P. Harris Tucson Police Chief (retired) Chris Magnus Baltimore Police Detective (retired) Deborah B. Ramsey Emeryville, Calif., Police Chief (retired) Jennifer Tejada Seattle Police Chief (retired) Norm Stamper Baltimore Police Major (retired) Mike Hilliard Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief (retired) Stephen Downing New York Police Officer (former) Jeff Kaufman Montgomery County, Md., Police Captain (retired) Sonia Y. W. Pruitt San Diego Sheriff’s Department Commander (retired) David Myers Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant (retired) Theodore L. Nelson Albany Police Chief (retired) Brendan Cox Sinclair Community College (Dayton, Ohio) Public Safety Chief Thomas N. Thompson

Gun violence continues to ravage our country, with mass shootings of four or more people daily, and shootings are now the leading cause of death for children in America. Moreover, 2023 is on pace to set a new record for mass shootings and deaths. Last year, there were over 650 mass shootings, and this year there have already been more mass shootings and school shootings than the number of days in the year.

A lone woman, dressed in a tan winter coat and knit hat, stands silently looking at a memorial for victims of a Jan. 23, 2023, mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, Calif. It is night; mounds of flower bunches are ringed by lit candles; the entire image is bathed in purple light from multiple light strings overhead.

Don’t let an assault weapon end another life.

BY JOHN ROSENTHAL

A woman stood at a growing memorial for victims of a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, Calif. On Jan. 23, 2023, seven people were killed and another injured during the shooting, which took place on two mushroom farms. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

JAN 25, 2023

We, the undersigned, implore Congress to enact a new national ban on all military-style assault weapons and ammunition magazines greater than five rounds. We, and the law-abiding people we serve, should be provided the same respect and consideration our hunting laws currently provide to protect populations of game animals. It will save lives and will not infringe on law-abiding citizens’ rights.

Law enforcement

Still, many in Congress remain stubbornly aligned with the largely unregulated gun industry, refusing to take action on civilian access to military-style assault weapons, including AR-15 assault rifles and large-capacity ammunition magazines involved in many mass shootings. As law enforcement officers, survivors of gun violence, gun owners, policy makers, public health workers, faith leaders, businesspeople, and union members, we respect and support the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. However, as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller ruling, “Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

A person reacted while visiting the memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio where a mass shooting took place on Jan. 25, 2023, in Monterey Park, Calif. Eleven people died and nine more were injured at the studio. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

JAN 25, 2023

A woman covered her face and tearfully looked away from a sidewalk filled with flowers outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio where a mass shooting took place on Jan. 25, 2023, in Monterey Park, Calif.

Scalia further noted that present-day military-style assault weapons did not exist at the time of the nation’s founding and are not protected by the Second Amendment. He stated that “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of firearms.”

MARCH 29, 2023

An older man wearing a gray T-shirt and baseball cap stood with his left hand over his mouth at a vigil on April 16, 2023, the day after a mass shooting at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in Dadeville, Ala. The man’s right arm is around a younger brown-haired man and blond woman who are embracing.

Wilson Garcia grimaced in pain at a vigil for his 9-year-old son, Daniel Enrique Laso, who was a victim of a mass shooting, on April 28, 2023, in Cleveland, Texas. Wilson is surrounded by others who appear to be watching a service.

In this photo taken from above, a woman in a red coat and long braids leaned down to embrace Jerome Lloyd-Anderson and Dawana Davis, father and mother of Michigan State University shooting victim Arielle Anderson, at a funeral in Detroit, on Feb. 21, 2023. The woman held a service program in her right hand that has an image of Arielle Anderson on it; she is depicted with angel wings against a blue sky.

Three women stood in a row facing left; the one on the far side looks ahead, the one in the middle is dabbing her eyes with a tissue, and the one in the foreground looks down at her phone, in Atlanta on May 3, 2023, after a shooting. The woman in the foreground is wearing an office badge on her shirt.

A 2-year-old girl, with gold and black baubles in her braided hair, nestled close to a portrait of her godmother, shooting victim Geraldine Talley, at a remembrance for victims one year after a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket. In the portrait, which is mounted on a brick wall painted black, Talley’s long black braids, wide-brimmed black hat, and purple shirt contrast with a light yellow background.

Kimberly Rubio sat next to her husband Felix at a small wooden table, upon which sat a picture of their daughter, a microphone, and a box of tissues. Reporters and onlookers fill the seats behind them as they testify before the House Select Committee on Community Safety at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, on April 18, 2023. Kimberly is holding her hand to her mouth in tears; Felix has his arm around her waist. Their 10-year-old daughter, Lexi Rubio, was killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School.

The torso and arm of a man were seen at the American Red Cross following the April 10 mass shooting in Louisville, Ky. Blood-filled tubing connects his arm to a bag resting on his lap; he is wearing a magenta T-shirt and jeans.

An anguished woman was embraced by an unidentified person consoling her at a memorial for those killed in a May 6 mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas.

Four adults and one child stood in a tight circle facing one another, with their arms around one another, following a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023. A woman leaned forward with her forehead pressed against the child’s. In the background is a tall weathered wooden fence.

MARCH 29, 2023

FEB. 13, 2023

A woman cried while singing at a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting on July 5 in Philadelphia. The shooting left five people dead; a 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were also shot but survived. (Matt Slocum/AP)

This image of a bullet-damaged prayer book was introduced as a court exhibit on May 30, 2023, in the federal trial of a gunman who was convicted June 16 for killing 11 people in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers testified at the trial that the book serves as a “witness to the horror of that day.” (Department of Justice via AP)

Wilson Garcia became emotional during a vigil for his 9-year-old son, Daniel Enrique Laso, on April 30, 2023, in Cleveland, Texas. Garcia’s son and wife were among five people killed allegedly by their neighbor on April 28 after the neighbor was asked to stop firing rounds in his yard. (David J. Phillip/AP)

A blue hard-cover prayer book with the top ripped apart is seen on a brown granite-tiled floor in this image from the trial of the man convicted of killing 11 people in the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018. A small bright yellow box that reads, “Government exhibit 1065” was added to the bottom right of the image.

On May 14, 2023, one year after a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 dead and three injured, Naujaj Buchanan, 2, nestled close to a portrait of her godmother, shooting victim Geraldine Talley, at a remembrance for the victims. (Libby March/The Buffalo News via AP)

People stood outside a commercial building in Atlanta on May 3, 2023, after a shooting. One person was killed and four injured. (Ben Gray/AP)

Mourners attended a vigil on April 16, 2023, the day after a mass shooting at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in Dadeville, Ala. At least four people were shot and killed at a teenager's birthday party, with 32 injured. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Arthur Vance, 75, donated platelets at the American Red Cross following a mass shooting in Louisville, Ky. On the morning of April 10, 2023, a gunman opened fire inside the Old National Bank building, killing five people and injuring eight others. ( Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

A group prayed with a child outside a reunification center after a mass school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, on March 27, 2023. Three 9-year-old children and three adults were killed in the shooting. (John Bazemore/AP)

Nisreen Hajaj was comforted on May 9 at a memorial near the scene of a shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, on May 6, 2023. Eight people were killed by the shooter, including a 3-year-old boy, and at least seven were injured. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Abel Lopez and a relative comforted Felicha Martinez, Lopez's wife, during a panic attack while their granddaughter Katalina Mata, 2, looked on, months after their son Xavier was killed. (Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times)

A mourner hugged Jerome Lloyd-Anderson and Dawana Davis, father and mother of Michigan State University shooting victim Arielle Anderson, at a funeral in Detroit, on Feb. 21, 2023. (Paul Sancya/AP)

I SIGNED:

Ban assault weapons.

The public’s access to military-style assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines is deadly to law enforcement officers and the public. While a bullet from a typical handgun is designed to penetrate a person’s soft tissue and lacerate organs, a high-velocity round from a military-style weapon is designed to expand and cause maximum soft tissue and organ damage — often proving fatal and rendering victims, especially children, unrecognizable. These high-powered firearms and military ammunition rounds are also specifically designed to penetrate soft body armor, outgun police officers, and kill as many people as possible without the need to reload. By contrast, typical law enforcement service weapons are handguns with 15-round ammunition magazines, and officers — and those they seek to protect — are placed at great risk when forced to reload.

While easily concealable handguns account for the majority of the average daily 130 firearm deaths and 150 injuries (including a child shot every 30 minutes and seven killed every day), many mass shootings occur with military-style assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines carrying 30 or more rounds. The semiautomatic AR-15, which has accounted for millions of gun sales, was modeled after the M4 carbine and the M16, which was intended for use on the battlefield, not America’s streets.

Assault weapons have no useful purpose for hunting or sport. Hunters are required to obtain a state license and the number of rounds they can carry in their hunting rifles is limited. Duck and deer hunters are limited to three and five rounds, respectively, to protect duck and deer populations. Incredibly, when the purpose is to shoot humans and overpower police officers who have 15 rounds before having to reload, there’s no federal law requiring a gun license or a limit on the number of rounds in a magazine.

Law enforcement officials are on the front lines and are routinely outgunned by shooters using military-style weapons. They’re dedicated to serving and protecting the people in their communities. Still, as long as Congress allows access to more powerful handguns and rifles designed for war, without even a criminal background check in 32 states, law enforcement officials’ lives are increasingly at risk. Their hands are tied, limiting their ability to keep citizens safe and stop the mass shootings in their communities.

In 1994, law enforcement — including every major national association representing over 450,000 police officers — led the effort to enact the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Yet Congress allowed the ban to expire in 2004, even though during the 10-year ban there was a 66 percent reduction in the use of banned assault weapons at crime scenes, proving that such a ban effectively saved lives and reduced preventable mass shootings — without prohibiting most firearms.

Therefore, we implore Congress to enact a new national ban on all military-style assault weapons and ammunition magazines greater than five rounds. Our nation’s citizens should be provided the same respect and consideration our hunting laws currently provide to protect populations of game animals. It will save lives and will not infringe on law-abiding citizens’ rights.

Abbey Clements, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn., cofounder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Gloria Cazares, mother of Jackie Cazares, murdered at Robbs Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas Jaclyn Corin, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla., cofounder of March For Our Lives David Hogg, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla., cofounder of March For Our Lives Ryan Deitsch, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla. Megan Ackerman, family member of multiple gun violence victims Pamela Barsam Brown, daughter of Sybil Melcon Barsam Sylvestre, murdered in California Elaine Becker, Roanoke, Va. Denise Brown, parent of Roman E. Bradley, murdered in Miami Cynthia Bruce, parent of Marcus Downer, murdered in Baltimore Amy Bruner, daughter of Richard Bruner, murdered in Des Moines Kimberly Brusk, domestic and gun violence survivor, Michigan Andrea Chamblee, wife of John McNamara, murdered at the Capital Gazette News, Annapolis, Md. Ellen Crafts, daughter of Robert Scherer who died by suicide by gun Jessica Craven, cousin to Kristin who took her own life with a handgun Romania Dukes, parent of De'Michael Dukes, murdered in Miami Shenna Foster, parent of Walter Thomas, murdered in Waldorf, Md. Paul Friedman, grandnephew of Elizabeth Shulkin, murdered in Miami Diana Garlington, mother of Esscence T. Christal, killed in Providence Greg Gibson, author of “Gone Boy” and father of Galen Gibson, murdered with an assault rifle at Simon’s Rock college Wayne Gilbert, brother of Dr. Ronald Gilbert, murdered in Newport Beach, Calif. Tonya R. Godwin-Baines, daughter of Robert Godwin, murdered in Cleveland Marion Gray-Hopkins, mother of Gary Hopkins Jr., murdered in Lanham, Md. Roxanna Green, parent of Christina-Taylor Green, murdered in the Safeway Tucson mass shooting Lori Haas, parent of student survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre Holly Hall, survivor of California State University, Fullerton 1976 massacre Cyrena Arokium, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. CJ Hoekenga, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn., cofounder of Safer Tomorrow Jackie Hegarty, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Pamela Hight, mother of Ya-Quin English, murdered in Troy, N.Y. Renee Hopkins, brother of Arnie, fatally shot at his school in Moses Lake, Wash. Christine Ilewski, daughter of John who committed suicide Celeste Iroha, niece of Noel Njoku, murdered while working as a DoorDash driver in Maryland Rachael Joseph, niece of Shelley Joseph-Kordell, murdered in Minnesota courthouse shooting Farideh Kioumehr-Dadsetan, aunt of Kian Joon Rachel Krauss, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Camila Kuntz, aunt of Jonathan Michael O’Shaughnessy, killed in Minnesota Gwendolyn La Croix, mother of Jonah who took his own life with an unsecured firearm Vita Larkin, cousin of Joseph, killed in an armed robbery Marsha Lee, mother of Tommy Lee, murdered in Illinois Sarah Lerner, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla., cofounder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Denise Marks, Dover, Del. Cathy Marshall, Dexter Township, Mich. Melody Geddis McFadden, daughter of Patricia Ann Geddis, killed in South Carolina, and aunt of Sandy Pa’Trice Geddis Barnwell, killed in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Miriam Meisler, family member of gun violence victim, Ann Arbor, Mich. Charlene Mokos Hoverter, sister of Diane Mokos Kriz, fatally shot in Chicago Sydney Montstream-Quas, cousin of Johnny Montstream, murdered in Rochester, N.Y. Giselle Morch, mother of Jaycee Webster, fatally shot in Maryland Emily Nottingham, mother of Gabe Zimmerman, murdered in the Safeway Tucson mass shooting Mia Livas Porter, sister of Cipriano C. Livas Jr. who died by gun suicide Deborah Parker, parent of Lindsay, murdered in Chandler, Ariz., with an AR-15-style rifle Nicholas Payne, father or Rebecca, murdered in Mission Hill, Boston Maria Pike, mother of Ricky Pike, shot in Chicago Laura Pitchford, sister of a Salon Meritage mass shooting victim in Seal Beach, Calif. Cristen Rescigno, cousin of Daniel Barden, murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn. Judi and Wayne Richardson, parents of Darien, killed in Maine Gail Schwartz, aunt of Alex Schachter, murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Fla. Kaylee Reder, Saugus High School shooting, Santa Clarita, Calif. Jaimee Roeschke, Saugus High School shooting, Santa Clarita, Calif. Madison Roeschke, Saugus High School shooting, Santa Clarita, Calif. Aimee Roeschke, parent of Madison and Jaimee who survived Saugus High School shooting Carol Rodgers, shooting survivor from Elk Grove, Calif. Mia Safford-Lee, sister to Thomas R. Lee II, murdered in Harvey, Ill. Joseph Sakran, shot in throat with a .38-caliber in Burke, Va., now a trauma surgeon Alicia Schemel, daughter of Captain Donald M. Schemel, murdered in Illinois Clare Senchyna, mother of Camilo Senchyna-Beltran, killed in San Francisco Ruth Senchyna, aunt of Camilo Senchyna-Beltran, killed in San Francisco Tiffany Shepis-Tretta, mother of Mia, injured in Saugus High School shooting, Santa Clarita, Calif. Kristin and Mike Song, parents of Ethan, killed at neighbor’s house with unsecured gun, in Guilford, Conn. Barbara Stowe, sister to Patricia Springer, shot in North Carolina by ex-boyfriend Danika Sudik, partner of Christian Reynoso, murdered in Sun Valley, Calif. Giesela Tanner, mother of Ellis Reed, fatally shot in Fullerton, Calif. Jessica Treat, mother of Michael Lopretta, murdered in Fairfield, Calif. Ka Lor Vang, sister of Gina Xiong, murdered on Mother’s Day in Stockton, Calif. Sedona Verrett, Edmund Burke school shooting survivor, Washington, D.C. Tamara Verrett, mother of a student who survived Edmund Burke school shooting, Washington, D.C. Michele Voigt, niece of Louise Zylwitis who died by suicide with a gun Bethany Webb, sister of Laura Webb, murdered in Salon Meritage mass shooting in Seal Beach, Calif. Elizabeth Wiegard, mother of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez Jane Weiss, aunt of Veronika, murdered in the Isla Vista, Calif., mass shooting Stacey Wesch, mother of Olivia Wesch, survivor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) shooting Nicole Williams, mother of Antonio Maurice Wilson Jr., murdered in Los Angeles Greta Willis, parent of Kevin L. Cooper, fatally shot by police when he was 14 years old, Baltimore Missy Zeitsoff, mother of Justin, murdered in Los Angeles Megan O’Donnell Clements, survivor of Las Vegas music festival mass shooting where the gunman used a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Nicole Cook, parent of child who survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) mass shooting where the gunman used a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Fred Guttenberg, parent of Jamie, murdered in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) mass shooting with a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Stephanie Jacobs, survivor of Highland Park, Ill., mass shooting where the gunman used a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Abby Kisicki, survivor of the Highland Park, Ill., mass shooting where the gunman used a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Manuel and Patricia Oliver, parents of Joaquin, murdered in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) mass shooting with a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Lonnie and Sandy Phillips, parents of Jessica, murdered in Aurora, Colo., with a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Samuel Schwartz, cousin of Alex Schachter, murdered in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) mass shooting with a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Angela Weber, gun owner and parent of survivor of mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) where the gunman used a Smith & Wesson AR-15 manufactured in Massachusetts Garnell Whitfield, son of Ruth Whitfield, murdered in Buffalo with an AR-15 Fred and MJ Wright, parents of Jerry, murdered at Pulse nightclub in Orlando with a SIG Sauer MCX Chaplain Clementina Chéry, president and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and mother of Louis D. Brown, caught in the cross fire of a shootout in Dorchester

Survivors

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., archbishop, Boston Archdiocese The Most Rev. William D. Byrne, bishop, Springfield Archdiocese The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, bishop, Worcester Diocese The Most Rev. Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., bishop, Fall River Diocese The Rev. Anne E. Derse, deacon, St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church The Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, Maine The Rev. Sari Ateek, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, Maryland The Rev. Eugene Dyszlewski, pastor, Lime Rock Baptist Church, Lincoln, R.I. The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Good, Calvary Church Arlington Pastor Ray Hammond of Greater Boston Interfaith Organization The Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, co-pastor, Bethel AME Church, Boston The Rev. Burns Stanfield, president of Greater Boston Interfaith Organization The Rev. Holly R. Jackson, pastor, United Church of Christ of Germantown, Md. The Rev. Jeffrey Brown, associate pastor, Twelfth Baptist Church, Roxbury, and cochair, Board of Directors, Embrace Boston The Rev. Hope Christensen, executive director, The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute The Rev. Michele H. Morgan, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Capitol Hill, D.C. The Rev. Dr. Frances W. Rosenau, pastor, Culver City Presbyterian, and niece of Bryan McCracken who died by gun suicide The Rev. Rob Schenck, D.Min., founder of The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute Jeremy Langill, executive minister, Rhode Island State Council of Churches The Rev. Jason Smith, executive director, BPFNA/Bautistas por la Paz The Rev. Robert Tiller, American Baptist Church (retired) The Rev. David Wright, executive director of Black Ministerial Alliance of Boston The Rev. Laura Martin, associate pastor, Rock Spring UCC, Arlington, Va. The Rev. Phyllis Myung, associate pastor, Acton The Rev. Jennifer Whipple, associate pastor, Congregational Church of Brookfield, Conn. Sister Diane Smith, St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Rose Therese Nolta, SSpS, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, USA-JPIC Senior Rabbi Audrey Marcus Berkman, Temple Ohabei Shalom, Brookline Senior Rabbi Claudia Kreiman, TBZ, Brookline Rabbi Danny Burkeman, Temple Shir Tikva, Wayland Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz, Temple Emanuel, Newton Rabbi Suzie Jacobson, Temple Israel, Boston Rabbi Jay Perlman, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Rabbi Michelle Robinson, Temple Emanuel, Newton Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, scholar in residence, National Council of Jewish Women Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels, PhD, Congregation Shaarei Tefillah, Newton Rabbi Cantor Hollis Schachner, Temple Shir Tikva, Wayland Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek and MA Board of Rabbis (former) Rabbi Elaine Zecher, Temple Israel, Boston Amanda Berman, executive director of Zioness Movement Sheila Katz, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women Athena Fulay, Community of Sant’Egidio Kathleen Higgins, worship leader, WellSprings UU Congregation Margaret Hilton, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland Angela Howard-McParland, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Rhode Island Sister Maria Orlandini, of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Franciscan Action Network Susan Bender, representing the DC Area Interfaith Network of 54 faith leaders The Rev. David Wright, Esq., Peoples Baptist Church, Roxbury The Rev. Irene Monroe, coproducer of “All Rev’d Up” podcast

Faith leaders

Representative Katherine Clark, Democratic whip Representative James McGovern Representative Bill Keating Representative Steve Lynch Representative Seth Moulton Representative Lori Trahan Representative Jake Auchincloss Representative Ayanna Pressley Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka State Representative Marjorie Decker State Representative James Arena-DeRosa State Representative Jennifer Armini State Representative Christine Barber State Representative Ruth Balser State Representative Peter Capano State Representative Daniel Carey State Representative Tackey Chan State Representative Michelle Ciccolo State Representative Rob Consalvo State Representative Manny Cruz State Representative Josh Cutler State Representative Kip Diggs State Representative Carol Doherty State Representative Kate Donaghue State Representative Mindy Domb State Representative Bill Driscoll State Representative Patricia Duffy State Representative Rodney Elliott State Representative Sally Kerans State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier State Representative Dylan Fernandes State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante State Representative Michael Finn State Representative Bill Galvin State Representative Sean Garballey State Representative Judith Garcia State Representative Denise Garlick State Representative Carmine Gentile State Representative Jessica Giannino State Representative Ken Gordon State Representative Carlos González State Representative Danielle Gregoire State Representative Patricia Haddad State Representative Christopher Hendricks State Representative Natalie Higgins State Representative Kevin Honan State Representative Vanna Howard State Representative Daniel Hunt State Representative Hannah Kane State Representative Kristin Kassner State Representative Mary Keefe State Representative Meghan Kilcoyne State Representative Michael Kushmerek State Representative Kathy LaNatra State Representative John Lawn State Representative David LeBoeuf State Representative Jack Lewis State Representative David Linsky, former assistant district attorney State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian State Representative Jay Livingstone State Representative Adrian Madaro State Representative Sam Montaño State Representative Frank Moran State Representative Brian Murray State Representative Tram Nguyen State Representative James O'Day State Representative Steve Owens State Representative Sarah Peake State Representative Alice Peisch State Representative Ted Philips State Representative Estela Reyes State Representative David Rogers State Representative Jeff Roy State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa State Representative Margaret Scarsdale State Representative Paul Schmid State Representative Dawne Shand State Representative Thomas Stanley State Representative Steven Ultrino State Representative Andy Vargas State Representative Thomas Walsh State Representative Bud Williams State Representative Kate Hogan State Representative John Mahoney State Representative Paul Donato State Representative Simon Cataldo State Representative Natalie Blais State Representative Christopher Worrell State Representative Rita Mendes State Representative Tommy Vitolo State Senator Cynthia Creem State Senator Julian Cyr State Senator James Eldridge Former Massachusetts attorney general and lieutenant governor Francis X. Bellotti Former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick Former Massachusetts House speaker Robert DeLeo Former first assistant Suffolk County district attorney and former director of public safety, Boston, Daniel P. Mulhern Former Massachusetts Senate president Robert Travaglini Mayor Paul Brodeur, Melrose

Policy makers

IATSE Local 11, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, 168,000 members Massachusetts Nurses Association, 25,000 members Massachusetts Teachers Association, 115,000 members Jeremy Burton, executive director, Jewish Community Relations Council, Boston Michael Curry, chair of the National NAACP Board’s Advocacy & Policy Committee and vice chair of the Political Action and Legislation Committee Tim Foley, executive vice president SEIU Local 1199, 56,000 members Rahsaan D. Hall, Esq., president and CEO, Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts

Unions and associations

Don Law, chairman, Live Nation New England Jon Davis, founder and CEO, The Davis Companies Josh Kraft, president, New England Patriots Foundation Ron Shaich, founder and former chair and CEO of Panera Bread, chair of Cava, Tatte, Level 99, Life Alive Bob Rivers, CEO, Eastern Bank Carol Fulp, CEO, Fulp Diversity Lora Pellegrini, president and CEO, Massachusetts Association of Health Plans Jeff Bussgang, general partner and cofounder, Flybridge Capital Partners Mary-Jo Adams, executive director, Finca Vigia Foundation Anthony & Dd Allen, OTTO Pizza Leonard Aron, US Postal Inspector (retired) Dave Balter, CEO, Flipside Crypto Carolyn Barclift, founder, Build Back Better USA Lisa Bardin, founder, Pepperidge Honey Pam Beale, owner, Cornwall’s Restaurant Patrick Bench, founder and CEO, Benchmark Strategies Alice Benson, Benson Executive Search Lauren Broadhurst Cook, CEO of Ellis Early Learning Jason Burke, founder, All Stage; cofounder, TBD Angels Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, PhD, CEO, IBA-Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción Jose Gutierrez, CSO, Danaher Ursula Cassidy, SVP People and Culture, Inkhouse David Chang, GM, Hunt Club; founding member, TBD Angels Tom Coburn, CEO, Jebbit Alexandra Drane, CEO, ARCHANGELS Korey L. Dudley, owner/director, Children’s House Montessori School, Atascadero, Calif. Jana Eggers, CEO, Nara Logics Joanne DiFrancesco, JDCommunications Inc. Timothy Fulham, Old Colony Partners Jamie Goldstein, founder and partner, Pillar VC Rebecca Roth Gullo, founder, The Gallows Group Garrett Harker, Eastern Standard Diane Hessan, CEO, Salient Ventures Sarah Hodges, general partner, Pillar VC Brian Kavoogian, managing partner, National Development Dr. Farideh Kioumehr, researcher, International Health & Epidemiology Research Center Samantha McGarry, Inkhouse Public Relations and Communications Beth Monaghan, founder and CEO, Inkhouse Jon McNeill, CEO, DVx Ventures Valerie Ploumpis, national policy director, Equality California Barbara Quiroga, president, BQ & Associates Jennifer Rego, president, Three Rego Creative Dr. Clifford Robinson, director, Business Incubation Boston University (retired) Eneida Roman, president and CEO, Amplify LatinX John Sasso, president, ADV Strategies Robert Stringer, CEO, Crimson Seed Capital Joshua Summers, cofounder, TBD Angels Adam Towvim, partner, Chameleon Collective; adjunct marketing professor, Brandeis International Business School Jill Whitey, Little Sprouts Nanny Services Russ Wilcox, general partner, Pillar VC; founder, E Ink Kate E. Wood, chief advancement officer, Steppingstone Laurie Woodward Garcia, People Power United Dr. Heidi Wyle, founder and CEO, Venti Technologies Mark B. Glovsky, Esq., Glovsky & Glovsky Livia A. Cowan, founder and CEO, Mariposa Inc. Steve Walsh, president and CEO, Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association

Business leaders

Lenworth Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS Peter Krims, MD, chief of gastroenterology, Emerson Hospital Elizabeth A. Davis, MD, clinical director of addiction care, Cambridge Health Alliance Robyn Riseberg, MD, founder, Boston Community Pediatrics Halleh Akbarnia, MD, FACEP, emergency medicine physician and gun violence survivor Annie Andrews, MD, pediatrician and researcher Deborah Goddard, MD, Krauss Dermatology Madeline Krauss, MD, Krauss Dermatology Michael Bosworth, MD, Krauss Dermatology Dr. Katrina Green, MD, FAAEM, emergency physician Pamela Norden, MD, Krauss Dermatology Andrew L. Warshaw, MD, FACS Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, physician Emily Cleveland Manchanda, MD, MPH, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Medical Center James Hudspeth, MD, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center Sabrina E. Sanchez, MD, MPH, trauma surgeon, Boston Medical Center Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center Timothy Munzert, LICSW, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Boston Medical Center

Medical professionals

Sandro Galea, dean, Boston University School of Public Health Ira Jackson, former vice provost University of Massachusetts Boston; cofounder, The Civic Action Project Robert MacArthur, educator and entrepreneur Jack McDevitt, Northeastern University professor Sari Beth Rosenberg, NYC public school teacher and cofounder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence David Rosenbloom, Boston University professor Len Schlesinger, Baker Foundation Professor of Business, Harvard Business School Kristof Haavik, teacher in Menomonee Falls, Wis.

Educators

Jimmy Tingle, comedian and founder of Humor for Humanity Rosanne Cash, musician, singer, songwriter

Entertainers

Salvation Army Captain Lacy Parrish shed tears at an April 12 vigil for the five people killed in the April 10 shooting at the Old National Bank in Louisville, Ky. Eight others were wounded as the gunman used an AR-15-style rifle while livestreaming the attack. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

John Rosenthal is the cofounder of Stop Handgun Violence and a sportsman/gun owner.

The Rev. Shawn Freeman spoke on July 3 during a prayer gathering at the site of a mass shooting in Baltimore two days earlier. Two people were killed and 28 injured. (Nathan Howard/AP)

assault

weapons.

Don’t let an assault weapon end another life.

Read why Advocate John Rosenthal calls for a nationwide assault weapons ban

Don’t let an assault weapon end another life.

Read why advocate John Rosenthal calls for a nationwide ban on military-style assault weapons

Read 350+ signatures from law enforcement, faith leaders, survivors, policy makers, unions, business leaders, educators, medical professionals, and entertainers

Editors: Marjorie Pritchard and Amy MacKinnon Design/UX/Project management/Social media design: Heather Hopp-Bruce Copy editor: Jessie Tremmel Audience engagement: Deanna Schwartz Production: Andrew Nguyen and Rebeca Pereira

Editors: Marjorie Pritchard and Amy MacKinnon Design/UX/Project management/Social media: Heather Hopp-Bruce Copy editor: Jessie Tremmel Audience engagement: Deanna Schwartz Production: Andrew Nguyen and Rebeca Pereira