ANNAPOLIS, M.D. — Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots networks, Students Demand Action and Moms Demand Action, released the following statements today to mark five years since the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, during which five people were shot and killed and two others were wounded.
“Five years ago, the lives of an entire newsroom, the Annapolis community and countless families were shattered by a senseless act of gun violence. Today, our hearts are with the survivors and their families,” said Andrea Chamblee, the widow of John McNamara who was shot and killed at the Capitol Gazette, a Survivor Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network, and a volunteer with the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We continue to honor their lives, and all those impacted by gun violence, by advocating for common sense gun safety laws that keep communities safe.”
“Today we remember the horrific tragedy at the Capital Gazette where five people were shot and killed and two others were wounded,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action. “No matter where someone is – be it at work, the grocery store, school, or a concert – they deserve to live without the fear of being shot. Our country’s gun violence epidemic is devastating, but it is not inevitable. We will continue to honor the memories of those shot at the Capital Gazette and all of the other lives taken or forever altered by gun violence by fighting for life-saving gun safety laws.”
In recent years, Maryland has taken important steps to gun violence, including enacting an Extreme Risk law and passing laws to disarm domestic abusers. Just this session, Governor Wes Moore signed legislation to strengthen the state’s concealed carry licensing laws, establish a comprehensive list of sensitive locations where guns may not be carried, and a measure known as Jaelynn’s Law that expands and strengthen Maryland’s secure storage requirements, helping to prevent unauthorized access to firearms by children – all with the goal of tackling gun violence at its core.
In an average year in Maryland, 796 people die by guns and 1,363 people are wounded. Gun violence costs Maryland $10.5 billion each year. More information on gun violence in Maryland is available here.