5 Dead; 9 Wounded in Horrific Dallas Shooting

Once again-this time during a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally in Dallas-we witness the appalling toll of gun violence. When easy access to deadly weapons combines with hate and fear, horrific tragedies occur.

With the rest of the nation, we mourn the loss of five brave police officers gunned down in the line of duty and the senseless shooting of seven more officers and two civilians whose lives will be forever altered. Our hearts go out to their families, friends and colleagues, and we pledge to them that our resolve to end the daily gun slaughter on our streets is only strengthened.

On average, 91 Americans lose their lives to bullets each day. Gun violence homicides, which claim more than 30 Americans each day, are impacting an ever higher number of our nation’s law enforcement officers each year, yet our elected leaders refuse to act. They continue to deny the connection between these acts of violence and the easy access to firearms, including high capacity semi-automatic assault rifles.

Let us resolve that the loss of these brave officers will not be in vain, but will inspire us all to come together to end the arms race that is turning peaceful marches, nightclubs, military bases, office buildings, movie theaters, churches and schools into killing fields.