John,

Keshall (KeKe) Anderson’s biggest aspiration in life was to watch her 6-month-old son grow up. But eight years ago last week, KeKe was unintentionally shot in the back and killed while on a walk in her neighborhood in Wilmington, DE. She was just 19 years old.

After her death, I knew we at Brady had to act. We filed a lawsuit on behalf of KeKe and her family against Cabela’s — the company that negligently sold the firearm used to kill KeKe. We fought for years in the courts for justice. But in a major blow, the Delaware Supreme Court denied KeKe and her family justice. 

Why? A special Delaware state immunity law that was interpreted by the Court to block gun violence survivors from holding the gun industry accountable in court. The gun industry is the only industry that enjoys such protections, John.

So we took another route. We built support in the Delaware state legislature for the Keshall “KeKe” Anderson Safe Firearm Sales Act, landmark legislation that repeals the very law that stopped us from obtaining justice for KeKe in the courts. And after months of advocacy, we made history: Delaware Gov. John Carney signed the bill into law, becoming the first state in the nation to repeal the unparalleled gun industry protections!

It was one of the proudest moments of my career when I joined KeKe’s family and Delaware lawmakers for the signing of this landmark legislation

This work exemplifies the best of Brady. We and KeKe’s family were undeterred and, together, we honored KeKe’s life with action while also creating a path for more victims and families to pursue accountability in the courts in the future. 

And that’s why I’m reaching out today. Will you please consider supporting Brady’s life-saving efforts with a donation? Your gift allows us to take the gun industry to court, support victims and survivors of gun violence, and help save lives.

In solidarity,

Erin Davis

Brady Senior Counsel, Director of Litigation

Calling Chicago Activists: You’re Invited to Brady’s “Building A Future Without Gun Violence” Conference

We’re just weeks away from Brady’s second annual “Building A Future Without Gun Violence” conference in Chicago — and we’d love to see you there, John. This event was designed to address the root causes of gun violence in Chicago and the supply-side strategies that can help ensure the gun industry is held accountable for its role in perpetuating violence. Will you RSVP right now?

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
8:30 a.m. — 4 p.m.
Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

During our conference, we’ll discuss ways we can fight to curb gun trafficking and this pipeline of crime guns into our communities. You’ll learn about ways to identify gun industry actors contributing to crime guns in our neighborhoods and brainstorm how to use this information to improve public safety in your community. 

We’ll be joined by local partners, community leaders, frontline workers, subject matter experts, and more. This is our chance to develop solutions to build the safer future we all want and deserve, so please join us!

(L-R): Brady Chief Programs and Policy Officer Christian Heyne and Brady Board Chair and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Sakran at the White House last year for the unveiling of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the establishment of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Over the past year, the first-of-its-kind office has made great strides in addressing the epidemic of gun violence in a coordinated, comprehensive approach with historic and life-saving results. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, the office, among many other things, has: 

✅ Supported numerous federal rules that will reduce gun violence, including the “engaged in the business” rule that ensures that those engaged in the sale of firearms for profit get licensed and are required to run background checks.

✅ Bolstered actions to help implement extreme risk laws, tools to help temporarily remove firearms from a person in crisis, and promote the safe storage of firearms.

✅ Invested hundreds of millions in community violence intervention programs to alleviate gun violence in the most impacted communities.

✅ Supported the release of never-before-seen gun trafficking data to help better understand where trafficked firearms are originating from.

We at Brady have also been fortunate enough to join the office for numerous events and occasions. Just this summer, members of Team ENOUGH, our youth-led initiative, joined the first-ever youth roundtable with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and members of our This Is Our Lane Advisory Council joined healthcare professionals to discuss how they can help combat gun violence with a public health approach. 

We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for their commitment to ending the gun violence epidemic in America. Be sure to follow on social media to see the life-saving progress we'll continue to make with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention!

Access to Guns Worsens the US Political Violence Crisis, Experts Say, The Guardian

His Lane, Johns Hopkins Magazine

We Need Leaders in D.C. to Help Gun Violence Prevention, The Virginian Pilot

State Lawmakers Have A New Strategy for Gun Reform, Yahoo News

Gillibrand: Anti-Trafficking Laws Help Seize Over 3,000 Illegal Guns, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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