SEATTLE, WA – The Alliance for Gun Responsibility and Yes On 1639 Campaign issued the following statement in response to the shooting at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida:

“We are devastated by the reports from Jacksonville,” said Reneé Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. “Our hearts are with the victims of this shooting, their families, friends, and the entire gaming community. While details are still unfolding, we know now that once again thoughts and prayers are not enough. Lawmakers sent their thoughts and prayers to Florida after Orlando, and then again after Parkland. Now, yet another Florida city has been added to the ever-growing list of mass shooting locations. It is unacceptable, and it must change. We need to take action now to stop these senseless acts of gun violence.”

“The news of the Jacksonville shooting has left me heartbroken and furious,” said Stephen Paolini, Campaign Manager for Yes on 1639: Safe Schools, Safe Communities. “I was raised in Florida. I played video games professionally in college at the University of Florida. I’ve been to a thousand tournaments just like the one attacked today. My community was the victim of terrorism today—terrorism enabled by our lax gun laws and empowered by the gun lobby. We should not have to live in a world where mass shootings are normal, where we are forced to wonder which community will be next. It is too late to save those lost today, but we can honor their memories by taking action to prevent the next tragedy.”