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Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.
“We have a problem,” said Shira Goodman, CeaseFirePA’s Executive Director. “A uniquely American problem.”
Goodman stood in Thomas Paine Plaza tonight as the sun began to dip below the horizon and spoke about the horrors America’s gun violence problem creates. She focused her words specifically on the tragic event that shook America just 48 hours ago when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire at a Las Vegas concert, killing more than 50 people and injuring hundreds before killing himself.
“We are setting records every year for the deadliest mass shooting,” Goodman continued. “And that is shameful.”
The vigil, which was organized by CeaseFirePA, drew more than 100 people. Attendees gathered in the Plaza to express their views on gun control and grieve together for the lives lost in Las Vegas on Sunday night.
Many elected officials were in attendance, including Mayor Jim Kenney and Governor Tom Wolf, as well as a Pulse Night Club shooting survivor.
Wolf described the shooting as an act of “pure evil,” and Kenney urged people to contact Washington and Harrisburg to let their representatives know how they feel.
“And let them know you don’t want to live in a country where lawmakers defend gun ownership as a God-given right, but healthcare coverage to treat the wounds inflicted by these machines as a privilege,” Kenney said.
Below are 13 more photos from the gathering.
