John–

My niece, Sarah, was beaming when she got home from her first day of kindergarten. It should have been a joyful day. But an hour later, desperately angry over missing his daughter's first day of kindergarten, my brother-in-law shot and killed Sarah, her two little sisters Rachel and April, and their mother — my sister-in-law — Laura.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Every day in the twenty-four years that have passed since Sarah and her family were killed, I've worked to keep their memories alive. I've done that by joining my fellow survivors and imploring Congress to get to work by passing background checks on all gun sales and a strong red flag law. I've fought against a system that disregards the reality of gun violence as a preventable public health issue, especially for the most vulnerable among us. I've stood up to the gun lobby in their efforts to profit off of lies.

I've done these things so that no other aunt or uncle or grandparent or parent has to choose a coffin — or coffins — as a result of gun violence.

Send a message to your senators and tell them that we need life-saving gun safety legislation now. No more excuses. No more delays.

This story has become America's story. Research tells us that 54% of mass murders stem from domestic and family violence. And in an average year, over 600 women are fatally shot by a partner. Every day, women across the country take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their families; however, too often this ends in tragedy because they are undermined by lax gun laws.

And yet, the Senate has still failed to act. Even though the House passed gun safety legislation over 200 days ago, the Senate continues to proceed as if it needs a permission slip from the President. This delay in action means that more people will be shot and killed, and more people like my family members will die at the hands of domestic abusers who shouldn't have a gun in the first place. Contact your Senators today and demand background checks on all gun sales and a strong red flag law.

Laura, Sarah, Rachel, and April are always on my heart and mind and, today, I hope you will honor them in yours.

May we gather our collective grief, fear, and anger and become an unstoppable force requiring our government to act to end gun violence. We can do this together. Demand action today.

Dr. Doreen Dodgen-Magee
Survivor Fellow
Everytown for Gun Safety

P.S. If you are a survivor of gun violence or have a loved one who has been wounded or killed by gun violence, you can share your story on our Moments That Survive Memory Wall with the stories of other survivors of gun violence.