We are grieving again, John. Another community devastated by senseless gun violence. Another celebration cruelly cut short by a mass shooting. Another reminder that we cannot exist in this country without fear.

On Saturday night, a gunman opened fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park, CA killing 10 people and wounding at least 10 others. It was the deadliest mass shooting since 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX last May.

Details are still emerging about this attack. But we know that it happened in a predominantly Asian American community at a time of increasing racism and hate-fueled violence against the AAPI community.

We are grieving alongside the survivors, their loved ones, and all those directly impacted by this tragedy. We are grieving for the entire Monterey Park community, whose sense of safety was shattered. And we are grieving for every member of the AAPI community who woke up yesterday looking forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year, and instead was met with news of this unthinkable horror.

We are all too familiar with this uniquely American tragedy. This was the 33rd mass shooting of 2023. There have since been at least three more.

We are heartbroken and we are angry. But we are not hopeless. We know that there are steps we can take to prevent needless bloodshed like this. We are determined to do everything in our power to create the safer, more just future we all deserve.

I hope you will join us today in pledging to channel your grief into action.

In solidarity,
Renée (she/her)