Sandy Hook aftermath: Brady Campaign raises $5 million; Parents launch ‘Promise’
Jimmy Greene and Nelba Marquez-Greene, the parents of Ana Marquez-Greene a victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, attend a news conference January 14, 2013 in Newtown, Connecticut. Families of victims asked that there be a dialogue to find solutions on how to prevent similar future violence.
One month after the tragic and deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., parents gathered to pay tribute to the children killed on Dec. 14 and to launch the non-profit Sandy Hook Promise.
"We have a responsibility to make something happen," said co-founder Tom Bittman, speaking at a press conference this morning. "We want Newtown to be remembered for change. We refuse to be remembered only for our loss. We want the shooting to be remembered as a turning point."
Bittman outlined the three points that the organization hopes will spur national discussion, according to ABC News: gun responsibility, mental health and ensuring safety in public spaces.
"Some of us … are gun owners," said Bittman, according to New York Daily News. "We teach our sons and daughters how to use guns safely. We're not afraid of a discussion about responsibility and accountability."
According to Politico, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has raised $5 million in the month since the Newtown tragedy.
Spokeswoman Deborah DeShong Reed said the money came from existing contributors increasing their donations, new donors and old supporters returning.
The Brady Campaign was the first group to meet with Vice President Joe Biden's task force on guns and has been working with the White House to discuss gun control, said Reed.
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