STAMFORD, CT – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) released the following statement today:

Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, but the sad fact of the matter is that we are tragically aware of the impacts and devastation caused by guns in our communities every day of the year.

Yesterday, there was another story of a university on lockdown as terrified teachers and students huddled for safety when a shooting rocked the UCLA campus. It’s become so common in our society that these stories don’t garner the kind of national attention and outrage that they once did.

But we in Connecticut will never forget the tragedy in Sandy Hook that cost the lives of 26 innocent people, including 20 children. We live with that grief every day. I am proud that our response has been to enact some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, which have led to a decrease in gun-related deaths. Still, 170 people died last year from guns in our state. That’s 170 too many.

I will continue to work with all of those who want sensible gun laws to end this violence through universal background checks, better mental healthcare, stronger regulation of the gun industry, and changing a culture that values the unlimited right to firearms over the safety of our families.