Friend, last night, a gunman in Lewiston, Maine, entered a bowling alley and then a nearby bar, armed with an assault style weapon, and fired a spray of bullets into the crowd. In a matter of minutes, he killed at least 18 people and injured at least 13 others.

Even after the media leaves and the dead are buried, the community in Lewiston will never be the same. Communities like Uvalde, Orlando, Sandy Hook, and Columbine know all too well that the wounds left by gun violence never truly heal.

We must take action to end this cycle of violence right now, friend. That's why we're calling on 50,000 activists to add their names to our petition before midnight tonight and call on Congress to finally ban assault weapons. Please, I'm counting on your help today. Will you sign on now?

Today, families in Lewiston, neighboring Auburn, and across Maine are grieving the loss of family members, friends, neighbors, and loved ones. They're sitting in hospital waiting rooms and waiting anxiously by phones. They're trying to cope with incomprehensible grief and pain while the state continues to wait in fear while authorities search for the gunman.

Hundreds of other communities across our country have grappled with this same pain and anger. There have been more than 500 mass shootings in 2023 alone. And more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence every single day. So few of these stories make the headlines. But as a survivor of gun violence myself, I can promise you that every single shooting leaves families traumatized and grieving.

That's why I've dedicated my life to working toward an end to our nation’s gun violence epidemic and preventing the next person, the next family, from feeling that kind of loss. Brady knows the power that every single incremental change has toward that goal and we’re working in Congress, courts, and communities to push for proven, tested solutions to address gun violence and stop the next tragedy.

With basic reforms like banning assault weapons and expanding background checks, we can stop the next mass shooting. But it's going to take all of us to break the NRA's hold on Washington: So please, will you add your name before midnight tonight to call on Congress to ban assault weapons and finally take action to end this epidemic? We can win this fight — but only if we work together.

Thank you,

Liz Dunning
Gun Violence Survivor & VP of Development

Thank you for joining us in honoring the victims who were senselessly killed in Lewiston, ME. Right now, six victims have been identified: Tricia Asselin, Bill Brackett, Bryan Macfarlane, Bob Violette, Steven Vozzella, Joseph Walker.