A MESSAGE FROM Kaitlyn's Fundraising Page
Join us in protecting America’s children from gun violence in honor of the precious lives that were taken in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Follow my journey:
The facts:
• Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens — nearly 2,500 children and teens die by gun homicide every year.
• As of mid-April, the Gun Violence Archive has counted at least 145 mass shootings in the United States this year.
• Last year, the group counted 647 mass shootings. Of those, 21 involved five or more fatalities.
Why I'm running:
Gun violence impacted me directly as a freshman at UC Santa Barbara in 2014, when a gunman killed 6 of my neighbors and classmates in Isla Vista. Though that was nearly 10 years ago, I'm part of the growing list of Americans who must relive the experience every time there is gun violence in the news — which is, unfortunately, very often. I think about those 6 individuals a lot, and about their families and loved ones who must wake up every morning with the horrific reality that their child, sibling, or friend was taken from them in a way that could have been prevented. And then I think about the hundreds of other families every year who must do the same.
It's exhausting to turn on the news every time a shooting happens and hear lawmakers dwell on the obstacles to solutions, when there is so much we can do. There are creative people out there doing the research, and implementing systems that actually WORK. Which is why I'm running for Sandy Hook Promise.
The cause:
• 18.5 million individuals who participated in the "know the signs" education program
• 406 confirmed lives saved through prevention
• 171K anonymous tips
