A message from the Executive Director
It’s been another huge month for us, with guns obviously dominating the news cycle in the past 2 weeks. All of these stories point to one underlying truth: building power to enact direly needed gun safety bills at the state level is the way forward. We leaned into this mantra heavily in December and you can read on to see so many shining examples of our statewide gains. The next few weeks are the nexus of our end-of-year giving campaign, so before you do – click here to make a special holiday gift to build a life free of gun violence.
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Lori McIntire lost her son Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire to gun violence. Watch her Deadly by Design story here. |
Deadly by Design
On December 2, we premiered a new Deadly by Design video telling the story of fallen Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire. Chief McIntire fit the title hometown hero in every possible way. He helped his mom raise his younger siblings Brandon and Tiffany, and spent 20 years building an honorable career in law enforcement, culminating in his position as Chief. In January 2023, he was gunned down by an armed offender he was pursuing. Later, the same man was found in possession of a Glock switch, capable of turning his ordinary handgun into a homemade machine gun.
These deadly accessories are illegal federally, but local district attorneys can’t prosecute their use because there’s no state law prohibiting them. Will you stand with Chief McIntire’s family by sharing their video with your legislators and demanding they advance a statewide Glock switch ban now?
Stay tuned for more Deadly By Design videos and catch up on the full catalog of powerful stories at DeadlyByDesign.org. |
New Legislative Session
We are just over two weeks away from a new legislative session, beginning January 7. As you know, we held onto our narrow gun safety majority in the PA House, and we plan on leaning on them heavily to advance bipartisan and broadly popular gun safety legislation. We’re flexing our muscles a little early by sending advocacy messages to legislators, demanding they prioritize gun safety bills in the new session. Will you join our core crew by sending a message to your State Representative and Senator Nikil Saval now?
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Remembering Those We’ve Lost to Gun Violence
Every year, we remember those we’ve lost to gun violence, honoring their memory and recommitting to reducing the death toll in the next year. These events force our leaders to reckon with the toll of inaction.
They drew large crowds in both Pittsburgh and Media (Delaware County), and even attracted some press attention. Hats off to our organizing team and incredible partners like Reformation Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church (PGH), Friends Ending Gun Violence Collaborative of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Chester Community Coalition, and CURE VIOLENCE Allegheny County, Moms Demand Action Western PA Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Peace is Possible Coalition, Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, The Wilkinsburg Sanctuary Project for Peace, for staging such powerful events.
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Your Wishes for the Next Year
At the end of November, we asked you to share your holiday wish for a life free from gun violence. As usual, you came through in a big way. So many of you shared touching stories, it was hard to pick a few to feature. Here are a couple of our team’s favorites.
Mayor Walker's Wish |
Dwan Walker (left) is the mayor of Aliquippa in Beaver County. He’s a gun violence prevention advocate and a survivor himself. After he lost his sister Deidre to gun violence, he ran for mayor to honor her legacy and make a difference in his community. But still, illegal guns continue to flood his town and many others across the Commonwealth. He writes, “our police are outmanned and outgunned” by offenders. His wish is to stop the flow of illegal guns, and create a safe community where everyone can thrive. Help us grant his wish by telling your legislators to prioritize gun safety this upcoming session.
Coleen’s Wish |
Coleen’s brother John was murdered by his Lyft driver in a Sheetz parking lot in December 2022. Since losing him, her family has been through unimaginable trauma compounded by drawn out, and ultimately unsuccessful, litigation against Lyft. Coleen simply wishes to see John again, but she is determined to make sure no other PA family has to go through her pain. She’s committed to making sure her legislators prioritize gun safety in January – are you? Irene’s Wish |
Irene lost two of her nephews to gun suicide. She wishes more than anything that she could bring them back and take away the crisis that led them to such a desperate act. Instead of letting her grief overcome her, Irene is channeling it into action. She is demanding our legislators advance gun safety, including safe storage and ERPOs (which have been shown to reduce firearm suicide in other states). Will you join her call here?
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