david!carriens. >> i am here to honor the memory of angela dales, the mother of our oldest grandchild who was shot and killed in the first school shooting here in virginia, the appalachian school of law on january 16, 2002, when three people were gunned down and three people were murdered. unfortunately, in the state of virginia and i'm going to be addressing virginia because we have an enormous problem, we continue to live under the adows of bipartisan deceit enrichment. many politicians in richmond have fallen p6ey to their political agendas and fear of the national rifle association and have willingly opted to confuse and cover up these tragedies. the governor's review panel report on the shooting at virginia tech is an example of this cover up.

and i have documentation with me if anyf you would like it. the state of virginia paid to the victims $100,000 for their dead children and their dead spouses and paid over three quarters of a million dollars to a firm that does business with the state of virginia to write a report that covers it up. that is a conflict of interest by anybody's definition. the report was written to prevent anyone from being held accountable for his or her actions or inactions. we will come here every day if it will help wake up politicians to their responsibilities to keep guns out of the hands of those who are violent and are a danger to themselves and others. we are here to honor not only the people we have lost but all of the vicms of school shootings, those who have been wounded and those who are psychologically scarred by these

tragedies. lisa delity. she's not here. sorry. mindy finkelstein. >> good afteoon. almost 13 yearsúago i was a camp counselor at the north valley couoty jewish center when a convicted felon tried to kill me. i was 16 years old at the time but i was lucky because buford furrow famled that day. and for the last 13 years i have tried to lend my voice to this cause telling members of congress there is no reason he should have had that gun. for 13 years i have been brushed aside. no one seems to think that this conversation is worth having.

you can't ignore us today. look me in the eye and tell me there is nothing any of us could do to prevent a convicted felon to walk in and gun down$innocent children. you are wrong. you are dead wrong. this past year my friend brian kaplan was shot and killed in his frkeot'w garage in the same neighborhood where i was shot 13 years ago. he was 32 years old. he is a 2 1/2-year-old daughter and his wife was pregnant with twins. the pain that i have that my friend was taken away from a gun an assault rifle, mind you, is too much to handle. i promise myself i will not let anymore of my friends be killed. now i not just speak because of what happened to me 13 years ago, but i speak on behalf of brian's three children who will grow up without a father.

for them, myself andor all of us here today whose voices are silenced please help us make sure no one else has to suffer tragedies like any of us have had to suffer. thank you very much. >> andrew goddard. >> good afternoon. my name is andrew goard. you have heard from my son. i'm looking at my watch. know what i was doing five years ago today at almost this exact moment. i was on the telephone with a surgeon discussing my son's injuries trying to keep it together for the rest of my family. nine months after i suffered that loss -- or that injury to our family, i went to the virginia general assembly to see what was going to be done to change things in virginia. imagine my surprise when everyone seemed to tell me now is not the time to talk about such a thing. nine months after 32 people were killed in virginia, it wasn't the timeo talk about it. imagine my disgust when i realized it was the time to talk about a bill to return gun

rights to people with mental illness and had said they were now recovered from it. while you can't do anything to stop someone who is mentally in problems and having difficulties with his life you can't stop him from getting a gun but we should be concentrating on allowing people who have gotten past that point to get guns again. i have been back there every year since, and every year it's not the time. it's not the time to talk about strengthening gun laws but, miraculously, it ises the time to talk about weakening them. anw after this many years i say enough is enough. we are going to do something about0strengthening gun laws. thank you. >> lori haas. >> good afternoon, my name is laurie haas. myauglter$emily was shotwice

in the back of her head five ywars ago today. as difficult as it is for me to stand here today i can only think of the pain and the horror and the sadoess and the utter devastation to those 32 families that morning and 32 families every y because dangerous people continue to have access, eqsy access wherever they want whenever they want to$weatons. but$i'm$here to challenge and$ suggest that we can fix this problem. a background check is a matter of moments. we lave the teclnology. we lave the means. we lave the matter and we have the determination. we are going to$see fit that our representatives and our legmslators hear our voice and understand that we need to do what it takes o ckground check bevmafirearm purchaser and dohat it takes to$get the records, diwqualifiers and records into the background

check system so that cho can no longer buy a firearm. i suspect today!somewhere in one of your home towns, one of your neighborhoods, your neighbor, your friend, your colleague, your child, yous uncle, your aunt, is being murdered and gunned!down by somebody who had easy accesw to a gun because they didn't undergo a background gheck and because they are disqualified whether a felony coovicuion, mental health conwiction, drug abuse or the other six disqualifiers, those records weren't in the system. we can fix it and i am determined to help to do thet. thank you. >> lori invited ed me to come with her. i'm a 33rd family member of gun violence.

my daughter mary was also shot in the french class at virginia tech. she did not survive and we have 32 students and faculty members and brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers who are not(witi us today- several of!uspent this past weekend at virgioia uech memorializing them. their lives and their enormous contrmbutions. it heartensúus that the survivorsúareúable to move forward in their lives. it heartens us thatúwe are represented on the campusúby scholarships, memorial funds and anyúnumber ofúgreatúremembrances butútheúfact remains that in all of our familiesúthereúare holes shaped like our loved ones that will never be filled and that's true of every single person here. that's true of every single family of the 32 people who

every day as you have just heard are shot to death in this country. this should not happen. and as you have also heard repeatedly today thu questn is if not us, who? if noé now, when? the(courts haveúrepeatedly deferred to the congress and the state legislatures to do the rightúthing and the proper regulation of public safety to include issues related to gun violence but in farútoo many cases our state legislators, state executives and the congress have avoided making those hard choices. here in virginia or i should say across the river in virginia our own governor, governor mcdonnell heard our pleas not to allow the repeal of our one gun a month law which is common sense legislation that has exmsted for over or almost 20 years and the commonwealth and then allowed that bill to become law.

in spite of our pleas. in our sase< this piece of legislation slowet thu shóoters plans. it didn't stop them but had they worked as part of a seamless web of common sense0gun legislation to include incorporiting the background checks for those adjudicated mentally ill, it wouldúhave probably succeeded in preventing the shooter from getting the firearms he used. now, i'm proud to say that viroinii noó leads the nation in inserting mental health records into the national instant(check system but there is so much further to go and so in the name of mary and in the name of ama, and in theame of every whose families are here representing those lives that were snuffed ouyun violence, i plead with our members of congress, do the right thing. don't support legislation that increases the availability of firearms to people who shouldn't have them and do what's in your

power to make sure that those firearms don't get into the hands of the people who shouldn't have them. thank you. >> i understand christine is here. no. christine cologne? christine? no. she's here. there you are. >> sorry. >> hi. my name is christina cologne. i'm here with my husband, a retired milwaukee police officer. on april 11th, 2009 his career e ended as a milwaukee police officer when he nearly lost his life in the line of duty from a .9 millimeter firearm at the hands of a nine-time felon, parolee, who had only been out of prison for six months.

the firearm was purchased at a gas station out of the trunk of the car by his girlfriend. a dispatch call for a subject with a gun resulted in a foot pursuit that turned into a gun battle after the criminal displayed his firearm and began firing at fidel less than seven feet away. after fidel was shot, he returned fire until he stopped the criminal. fidel was shot three times and only one bullet exited. a nine time felon parolee nearly took his life. vice president biden and attorney general holder awarded him the medal of valor which is the highest honor given to public safety officers for exhibiting exceptional courage in saving and protecting others whose heroic actions were above and beyond the call of duty. fidel and i are here on behalf of all law enforcement officers

shot or killed in the line of duty, their families, and their loved ones to demand that our elected representatives do all they can to keep dangerous people from obtaining guns. to all of those lost or injured officers who are shot in the line of duty you willúnever be forgotten. thank you. >> let's cllenge our leaders who distribute medals of valor for heroism to be hersm they can selves and stand up to the gun lobby. sign this stement of principle against arming dangerous people. reject the george zimmman armed vigilante act. is christian here? i didnee him before. no. okay. kaitlin hinckley.

>> five years ago my mother and sister went to buy my siblings and myself valentine cards at a mall in salt lake city, utah. they were gunned down by a mentally ill 18-year-old who should not have had the gun that he purchased. my sweet baby sister was killed d my mother will forever suffer from the multiple gunshot wounds she inflicted. when it all happened it was all over the news. our pain and grieving was broadcast and everyone in the community was hurting. they felt the pain, the fear and the traumatic loss and wanted to know what was happening because they felt like they were a part of it. everyone can tell you where they were when it happened. but when the time came to move on they were able to turn off their tvs, put down their newspapers and go back to their daily lives knowing that their childzeí were0tucked safely in eir beds butur families can't. we live this nightmare every day.

we live with the pain and loss of our children, siblings, close friends and family members. we live with the fear that unless our laws change dangerous people will be able to get hold of illegal firearms and put other innocent people through this intolerable pain of forever wondering who our lost loved ones would be today. for the last five years i constantly wondered who my sister would be today. i wonder what she would look like, what she would be doing and what of her many ambitious goals she would have been able to achieve had her life not ended at 15 at the hands of someone who should never have been able to obtain the weapon that ended her life. kiesten has missed so much that she should have been here for, most recently her high school

graduation and my wedding. i watch as my mother deteriorates before my eyes knowing there is nothing i can do for xer. she will never get better. she will never heal. i live in fear for her and her future and fov the future of my kids that i want to someday have. it is far too easy for these dangerous firearms to get into the hands of the wrong people. gun dealers are not being held accountable. congress is not being held accountable for these weapons being sold. we stand before you today asking you to remember what we can never forget to sayúenough is enough and to demand a change so this does not continue to happen. so far as i understand john boehner won't meet with us. is that right still?

i ask after you hear that is it time now, john boehner, to start talking about this issue? is it time to start talking about what we can do to keep the guns out of the people responsible to these tragedies that you are hearing about? nardyne jeffries. >> good afternoon. i'm narne jeffries. my daughter was one of the three young people murdered march 30th, 2010, on south capital street. there was nine people shot with multiple weapons. i'm not going to dwell too much on the case because we are still in the trial proceedings right now. the point is i'm here to support and will be here to support any and every time that i need it to support because guns in the wrong hands is not a pretty

sight. my daughter was shot in the head with an ak-47, head blown wide open. and it's hard to talk now because just listening to the stories and knowing what you are going through i definitely can relate to the young lady that just spoke saying her mother is deteriorating. my father died due to bladder cancer. couldn't get out of bed for@ si months. when he got up, he was diagnosed with cancer and just didn't have the will to live any longer. we need to be a more conscious society. and i think it's just very selfish of the gun shops and gun manufacturers to take the attitude that, well, we, you

know, we'reúonly making guns for, you know, whatever the purpose that theygre claiming to make the guns for. it's not my faultúthat, you know, innocent people have been gunned down with the guns that i have manufactured and have put into my gun shops. and it is your respónsibility to be more responsible. you can't think that, youúknow, manufacturing deadly weapons, you have no responsibility there. you do. and i just want to say to all the elected officials, you know, that you need to stop thinking in that selfish manner that i guess because it hasn't happened to you, that you feel like you're, youúknow, oblivious to it. and you're so distant from it. but you're not. anyone can get a weapon. as abby made a statement from these gunúprotests that you can get a gun as easy as purchasing a candy bar, and she's absolutely right. you can buy a gun from craigslist, on the internet, some walmart stores, a trunk of a car, anywhere. and for you to have the attitude

that, you know, well, i live in a certain neighborhood or i -- you know,$you're not safe. the bottom line is, you're not safe. my only child is now gone. i don't know what it's going to be like to be a grandmother because i will never have any grandchildren. i won't know what it's like to visit my daughter in college because she didn't make it that summer. she was killed that spring you know, all of her friends have now gone off to college. and they're moving along as best they can. but, you know, people that take lives and innocent people, they don't realize the effects that the devastation they leave behind. it's not just the victimwhose lives you've taken and their families whose lives, you know, you've forever changed. but you have to think about, you know, in my case or a lot of cases, the pediatricians. you know, it's hard for all of those relationships that have been established with those victims, people now have lost. and that void is never going to be filled again. so i'm definitely here to go along with the rest of the

families to see these senators and let them know that, you know, enough has been enough many years ago. i'm not going to sit back and tolerate, you know, any more mothers and pants, sibngs and young people, old people, middle-aged people being gunned down. it makes no sense. this is supposed to be a civilized nation. let's start acting like it. representatives, let's get on board. let's stop being, you know, so quick to make the almighty dollar. you know, you caalwa- money is going to be there. you can't replace human lives. i can't buy another daughter. no more than anyone else can buy another sister or father or whatever, you know, relationship you have with that loved one. don't be so selfish. you know. and be more respectful. so we're going to go over there. and we're going to get in the faces of these politicians. and we're going to let them know, guns in the wrong hands is very, very deadly.

and it makes absolutely no sense. and we're not going away once theúcameras leave. we're notúgoing away when the office is closed. we'll come back and we'll keep coming back just like we've been doing for years and many years to come. and we'll keep coming back. and we're going to have more people because unfortunately, until they get it, we're going to have more casualties. thank"you. >> william kellibrew. >> july 2nd, 9984, i helplessly watched at the age of 10 as my mother, jacqueline kellibrew, and my 12-year-old brother, anthony cefus, was shot point blank in their faces right in front of me. he then came to me,úandúhe put the gun to my head. and he had me beg for my life.

as i put myúhands together and begged him, please don't kill me. please don't kill me. igll do anything. it didn't go anywhere. after i pleaded to god, please, don't let him kill me, marshall brett williams who had served an 11 1/2-year sentence for second-degree murder on the marine base at quantico, viroinia, then [tood up and walked around the room. he let me go that day but without my leader, without my protector, without the person that i would have grown up with to leadúme and guide me through this life. and at the age of 13, i wanted to take my own life because it was unbearable. but i've come from that room, that room at 10 years old to this hill to let congress know that guns in the hands of people like marshall brent williams, guns in the hands of people like george zimmerman do not belong. please, i'm coming from that room to plead with you, to beg

and to demand and to ask you, please reject the george zimmerman vigilante act. and please sign this statement of principle. stand with us, us 32 here today, and the 32 victims who lost their lives at virginia tech years ago. stand with us today to make a difference and all communities across america, please stand with us. it's senseless violence. and with this kind of legislation, this model legislation, it's unspeakable, and it's deadly as nardyne jeffries said. we've got to do something about it. and today we plan to do methg out it. thank you very much. >> dayna klein. >> good afternoon. my name is dayna klein.

i'm here today to honor my friend, pamela wechter, a very blessed%memory who died in the shooting uhat!permanently disabled me. after i took a bullet in the arm to try and protect my then 17-week-long pregnancy on july 28th, 2006, in seattle, washington. i feel itúis my obligation to not letúthe world forget pam. her beauty, her grace, and her commitment to making our country and our world a safer place. in that same spirit, i have made the choice to give voice to not oíl to the thousands of other people in our country whose lives have been lost and permanently changed due to the horror of gun violence. i am honored to stand here today with among other survivors like me who want to be sure that the

decision-makers in our nation's capitol have faces, names and real people to think about when they consider senseless gun control legislation like the george zimmerman armed vigilante myow-year-old son ani ca the state of maine home now. and i challenge and look forward to speaking with retiring senator olympia snowe who has one last chance in her seat in the senate to make the right decision and stand behind sensible, honest, real conversations about the stateúof our countryúand the state of the abundance of firearms and lóss of life that happens every day in our íation. i hope that they'll remember us, the other legislators, [enator snowe, senator collins, and the other members of our congressional and senatorial

delegations and join the legacy that pam leaves and(that all of us hope to leave, that we americans canúcreate a safer world for the rest of the members of our nation. thank you very much. >ñ oarry kay mace. >> my name is mary kay mace and my daughter, ryan, was the youngest of the five students slain in the rampage shooting at northern illinois university on valentine's day of 2008. ryan was only 19 when taken from my husband and me. she was our only child and the light of our lives. as more information became available about the shooter, i had problems understanding how someone with such an extensively documented history of mental illness was able to purchase firearms legally. i naively assumed that there

were laws in place to prevent that sort of thing in the interest of public safety. through extensively researching gun control laws and nics, i came to find that the good laws we do have don't go far enough and that they're somewhat unenforceable given that the background check system is missing more than a million records of people who are supposed to be prohibited purchasers. the public assumes that all crimes are committed by hardened criminals with illegally obtained firearms. and while that may be true in many cases, there are enough instances such as the massacres at virginia tech, niu and tucson where the gunmen were all mentally ill and all use legally purchased guns. i think that by now our legislators should be more alarmed that these incidents continue to happen anywhere and to anyone, prodding them to act on the problem. in reality, though, i go to websites for many candidates or incumbents running for

re-election and see that most of them shy away from taking any position on the issue of common-sense gun control. click on their issues tab and it's not even listed. i'm here to tell you that gun violence can no longer be viewed as a nonissue in our country. >> who's going to take a stance against this? we want to see. and that's the question that we're going to be asking. tom mauser. >> thank you. you know, i think there are three particular things that all of us or most of us here have in common. one, we never expected ts would happen to us. two> we wondered how in the hell did that shóoter get that gun? and threel we don't want this to happen to you. my name is tom mauser, father of daniel mauser, killed at