Black Church Action Fund Demands Congressional Action Following Apalachee High School Shooting

The tragic loss of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo and teachers Christina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall at Apalachee High School serves as a stark reminder that gun violence can strike anywhere, even within our schools. As we send our thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims, we also demand action. We can no longer afford to wait for another tragedy before implementing common-sense gun safety laws.

Pastor Mike McBride, Co-founder of the Black Church Action Fund, states: "This epidemic of violence must be met with immediate and bold policy changes. Our children deserve to go to school without the constant fear of gunfire."

We urge Congress to pass the Assault Weapons Ban and Disarm Hate Act, which would prevent those convicted of hate crimes from purchasing firearms and restrict access to the most dangerous weapons.

Key Data:

• There were 385 school shootings in the U.S. in 2023.1

• 19% of mass shootings are carried out with assault weapons.2

• Black students are disproportionately impacted by gun violence, being four times more likely to be killed in shootings compared to their white peers.3

Call to Action: Tell Congress to act now and pass the Assault Weapons Ban and Disarm Hate Act. Every day that goes by without action puts more children at risk.

Take Action: 

Tell Congress Now

Sources:

1. Gun Violence Archive

2. Everytown for Gun Safety

3. Gun Violence Archive