Mount Vernon Gazette Local elected officials joined the family and friends of Bijan Ghaisar at a rally on Saturday, May 19, at the U.S. Department of Justice, demanding information about the federal investigation into the November killing of Ghaisar by two U.S. Park Police officers. State Sen. Scott Surovell, who spoke at the rally, said, “It is absolutely crazy that it has now been six months of silence from the authorities … when you watch the video, Bijan is not speeding or driving aggressive... Read more

Today is the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting in Isla Vista, California, which left six people dead and fourteen injured. That incident inspired legislation to enable families and law enforcement to act on warning signs before mass shootings, now called the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act, which received new attention and significant bipartisan support after the Parkland shooting. Yet three months after Parkland, and in the face of another mass shooting at a school in Santa Fe, Texas, ... Read more

Washington Post Six months after Bijan Ghaisar was fatally shot by two U.S. Park Police officers on a Northern Virginia side street, hundreds of family members, friends and supporters marched around the Justice Department building Saturday chanting, “We want names — we want justice — we are Bijan.” Other than the video of the incident recorded by Fairfax County police, virtually no information has been released about the shooting, including the names of the officers or the reasons they fired nin... Read more

Today, Reps. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Don Beyer (VA-08) announced that 100 bipartisan co-sponsors now officially support passing H.R. 2598, the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) Act. The bill, introduced last May, would allow family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. “The momentum behind passing gun violence prevention laws in the wake of the tragic Parkland shooting is not slowing down, and that is clearly ... Read more

We are full of grief for the 17 lives lost in Parkland, Fla., last month. As representatives of communities – Isla Vista, Calif.; Newtown, Conn.; and Alexandria, Va. – which have been the site of major mass shootings, we are keenly aware that their loss is shared by too many families across the country every year. Nationally, the epidemic of gun violence claims tens of thousands of American lives every year. But those of us who have fought in Congress for years for gun reforms – for too little p... Read more

We are full of grief for the 17 lives lost in Parkland, Fla., last month. As representatives of communities – Isla Vista, Calif.; Newtown, Conn.; and Alexandria, Va. – which have been the site of major mass shootings, we are keenly aware that their loss is shared by too many families across the country every year. Nationally, the epidemic of gun violence claims tens of thousands of American lives every year. But those of us who have fought in Congress for years for gun reforms – for too little p... Read more

As students returned to classes at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the tragic Parkland shooting, they continued their calls for gun reform. Their advocacy helped drive growing momentum in Washington and in state capitals across the country for gun violence restraining order (GVRO) laws, which saw legislative actions on state measures and endorsements of such measures by key political leaders from both parties. The only bill in Congress to help states adopt GVRO laws, the Gun Viole... Read more

Rep. Don Beyer this week joined Congressman David Cicilline to introduce H.R. 5087, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018. “We need the Assault Weapons Ban because we have to get weapons of war out of America’s communities,” said Rep. Beyer. “It is too late to stop the shootings in Parkland, Newtown, Aurora, and so many others which were carried out with an AR-15 style rifle, but we must act to prevent future such massacres. Congress should listen to the young people in Florida and across the country ... Read more

As students in Florida and across the country express their outrage over inaction to strengthen lax gun laws, political leaders from both parties are coming out in support of gun violence restraining orders (GVRO’s). In the past few days, GVRO’s have been written about favorably in the National Review, and supported by Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Governor Jeb Bush, and other prominent conservatives. More on GVRO’s: National Review: “A Gun-Control Measure Conservatives Should Consider” AB... Read more

Rep. Don Beyer gave the following remarks last night at the vigil for victims of the Parkland, Florida shooting held in Falls Church at George Mason High School. Video is available here, courtesy of Blue Virginia. “Thank you for showing up on a cold, gray February holiday afternoon. Change is only driven by the people who show up. And we must, must deal with the prevalence of gun violence in this country. Let me give you some statistics. In 2016, more than 39,000 Americans were killed by guns: 9... Read more