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Gun Violence

Trump laments lack of armed guards in synagogue, strongly condemns anti-Semitism

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Jewish Telegraphic Agency |  President Donald Trump said the outcome of a synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning “would have been far better” if the synagogue had more armed protection inside. “This is a case where if they had an armed guard inside, they might have been able to stop him immediately,” Trump told reporters just hours after the shooting. “If…

Trump: Synagogue Shooting Could Have Been Avoided if Temple Had Armed Guard

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Slate | Many were quick to criticize Trump for his comments. “His lack of empathy is just staggering,” wrote Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia. Some also pointed out that Trump suggested an armed guard could have prevented the whole situation even though the shooter injured several law enforcement officers. Michael Eisenberg, a past president of the synagogue, told reportersthat…

Wadler To Be Awarded at Women’s Conference

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Virginia Connection Newspapers |  Alexandria’s Naomi Wadler will receive the Clara Mortenson Beyer Women and Children First Award for her advocacy in support of gun violence prevention. Wadler, 11, organized youth protests at her school in the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. earlier this year. She also addressed crowds at the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C. The…

Rep. Beyer To Honor Gun Violence Prevention Activist Naomi Wadler At Annual Women’s Conference

| Posted in Press Releases

Rep. Beyer announced today that Alexandria’s Naomi Wadler will receive the Clara Mortenson Beyer Women and Children First Award for her advocacy in support of gun violence prevention. Wadler, 11, organized youth protests at her school in the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida earlier this year. Her subsequent address to crowds at the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C.…

Rally Demands Accountability in Shooting Death of Bijan Ghaisar.

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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…

Beyer, House Democrats Call On House Leaders To Move Gun Violence Prevention Bills

| Posted in Press Releases

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…

After six months of silence in Park Police killing, Bijan Ghaisar’s family protests at Justice Department

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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…

Carbajal and Beyer Announce 100 Democrats and Republicans Co-Sponsor GVRO Act

| Posted in Press Releases

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…

The Hill -- Our bipartisan bill might have stopped the Parkland shooting

| Posted in Press Releases

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…

Our bipartisan bill might have stopped the Parkland shooting

| Posted in Opinion Pieces

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…