Hi John,

Nine years ago today, Representative Gabby Giffords was meeting with constituents at a “Congress on Your Corner” event in Tucson, Arizona when a gunman opened fire, killing six people and wounding 13 others. Rep. Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range.

This senseless attack shook the nation. But in its aftermath, Rep. Giffords’ congressional colleagues did little more than send their thoughts and prayers. This tragedy and our elected officials' inaction inspired many people to action, including Rep. Giffords and her husband, Captain Mark Kelly.

Gabby Giffords (L) and Mark Kelly (R) pose with I-1639 Citizen Sponsor Paul Kramer, Alliance CEO Renée Hopkins, and I-1639 Campaign Manager Stephen Paolini at a campaign event.

In the years since, Gabby and Mark have been some of the most courageous leaders in the gun violence prevention movement. And since the Alliance’s start, the Giffords organization has been one of our strongest allies in the fight for commonsense, evidence-based gun safety laws.

A lot has changed in the movement for gun responsibility since then and our coalition continues to grow to include a diverse set of partners across the country and across issue areas.

Today, as we remember all the victims of this senseless tragedy, we are proud to continue fighting alongside all our partners to honor them with action.

--The Alliance