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On Virginia Tech One Year Mark, Remembrances in Scores of Communities to Urge Common Sense Gun Laws

WASHINGTON, Apr. 11 /PRNewswire/ --

Demonstration Locations include US Supreme Court and Capitol, Virginia Tech University, Presidential Debate in Philadelphia

WASHINGTON, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, April 16, the one-year mark of the terrible tragedy that took 32 innocent lives at Virginia Tech, local citizens in more than 50 cities and towns across America will participate in events to remember that tragedy -- as well as all victims and survivors of gun violence -- and call on Congress to act to strengthen the Brady background check system by closing the gun show loophole.

The bulk of the April 16th activities will be local "lie-ins" where mothers and fathers, young and old, gun violence victims, college students and other citizens lie down in groups of 32 to recall the 32 innocent victims murdered at Virginia Tech. They'll remain lying for just a few short minutes to highlight the short length of time it takes to purchase a gun in the United States. Lie-ins will be held at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday at noon, the Capitol at 12:45, on the Drill Field at Virginia Tech University at 2 PM, in Philadelphia outside the site of the Democratic Presidential Debate at 7 PM, and in dozens of other places.

A volunteer activist from Alexandria, Virginia, Abigail Spangler of ProtestEasyGuns.com, started these "lie-in" protests following the Virginia Tech tragedy last year. "What we are seeing here is a national movement growing out of the efforts of the families and the best friends of the Virginia Tech victims," Spangler said. "And they will keep fighting until we make progress in America.

The Brady Campaign advocates for common sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole, to restrict access to guns by dangerous people because allowing convicted felons and domestic abusers to buy guns at gun shows from unlicensed sellers without a Brady criminal background check threatens the safety of our families and communities.

"The American people know that it's too easy for dangerous people to obtain dangerous weapons," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Congress should close the gun show loophole immediately, and take other common sense steps to fight gun violence."

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence with the Million Mom March Chapters of the Brady Campaign in Partnership with ProtestEasyGuns.Com

Details about specific events are available on the Brady Campaign website at http://www.bradycampaign.org/action/april16/. Following is a partial list of the locations where the April 16 remembrances will be held.

Arizona: Phoenix, Arizona State University, Tucson

California: Chico, Fairfield, Grass Valley, Los Angeles Valley College, Oakland, Pleasant Hill, San Diego, San Mateo, UCLA

Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins

Connecticut: New Haven

District of Columbia: Supreme Court and Capitol Hill

Florida: Fort Lauderdale

Illinois: Chicago, Naperville

Indiana: Bloomington, South Bend

Iowa: Mount Vernon

Maine: Portland

Maryland: Baltimore

Massachusetts: Amherst, Worcester

Michigan: Detroit, Kalamazoo

Minnesota: Duluth, St. Paul

New Jersey: Ewing, Princeton, Trenton

New Mexico: Albuquerque

New York: Bronx, Ithaca, Times Square

North Carolina: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Wilmington, Winston-Salem

Ohio: Cincinnati, Columbus, Kent, Oberlin, Toledo

Oregon: Salem

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia,

South Carolina: Charleston, Columbia

Tennessee: Knoxville

Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth

Virginia: Blacksburg, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond

Washington: Seattle

Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee

ProtestEasyGuns.com is a grassroots lie-in protest movement that emerged last year in response to the deadliest shooting rampage by a single individual in U.S. history at Virginia Tech. Supporters are outraged at how easy it is to obtain a gun in the United States and believe it is time to change lax U.S. gun laws that allow criminals and dangerous individuals easy access to guns. Each of the protests includes 32 individuals (symbolizing the number of students and teachers murdered at Virginia Tech and the 32 Americans murdered with guns every day in the United States). Protesters lie down silently for three minutes (signifying the brief amount of time it takes to buy a gun in the United States). The goal is to encourage like-minded citizens to stage their own protests around the country to influence the public discourse and ultimately the legislative process with regard to this critical national problem. Visit http://www.protesteasyguns.com

As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations, and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

For more information on April 16th activities, visit the Brady Campaign website at http://www.bradycampaign.org.

CONTACT: Brady Campaign Communications, +1-202-898-0792, phamm@bradymail.org