Every year, I return to February 2 with a kind of clarity that never gets easier. It’s the day my family lost someone we loved, and never got him back.
On that day in 1996, my brother Arnie was killed in a shooting at Frontier Middle School in Moses lake. He died, along with educator Leona Caires and student Manuel Vela Jr. Three lives abruptly ended, one student, Natalie Hintz critically injured, more than a dozen youth witnessed, and a community was changed forever.
When people ask what gun violence leaves behind, I wish the answer were simple. It isn’t. It’s birthdays that feel incomplete and the constant awareness that a single moment can take everything from a family.
However, I’m writing because I have hope that we will end preventable gun violence in our communities.
One of the most immediate ways to reduce harm is making sure firearms are secured when they’re not in use. Not tucked away. Not “out of sight.” Secured. It’s the difference between a dangerous moment and a fatal one, especially when kids are around, when someone is struggling, or when conflict is already simmering.
At the Alliance, we work every day to make sure Washington keeps moving toward fewer funerals and fewer families living with lifelong loss. That means tireless hours of advocacy and public education.
If remembering Moses Lake still hits you in the gut, or if you’re simply ready to see Washington lead with responsibility and care, I’m asking you to support this work today.
Please donate here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/klOdq4420kaCue21YjB5Ug2
Thank you for honoring Arnie, and for choosing action that protects people.
Renée Hopkins
CEO, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY
P.O. Box 4187 Seattle, WA 98194