Three years ago today, my 10 year old cousin, Xavier James Lopez was murdered along with 18 other children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. They were daughters and sons, educators and protectors — and they were all taken in an act of senseless, preventable gun violence.
This experience fueled me into the gun violence prevention movement and I have never looked back. Today, we remember their names. We remember their faces. And we remember the heartbreak that should have sparked sweeping change.
But here we are, three years later — and gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and pregnant women in the United States. Elected officials at the federal level have not only failed to deliver the bold action we need, the Trump administration has even worked to dismantle the few protections we had: closing the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, erasing critical public health data, and siding with the gun lobby over our families.
The American epidemic of gun violence rages on, unchecked.
At the Alliance, we refuse to accept this as normal. We’re fighting every day at the state level to create the change we desperately need — advancing commonsense legislation to hold gun dealers accountable, mandate safe storage, and protect our schools and public spaces. Because while the federal government continues to abandon their key role of protecting the people, states like Washington are proving that progress is possible.
But this fight is long, and it’s far from over. We need your voice. We need your commitment. We need your support. I hope you’ll join me in the movement to end gun violence in our communities.
Let’s never forget — and let’s never stop pushing for the world those 21 people deserved to live in.
Thank you for being part of this fight with us today and every day.
Alina Santillán
Board member, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY
P.O. Box 4187 Seattle, WA 98194