Springfield, VA – On Monday, an unchecked Mass Public Murderer claimed the lives of at least ten Americans, including one police officer, at a King Soopers, a store whose corporate policy restricts the rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms in Boulder, Colorado.

Unsurprisingly, anti-gun politicians and lobbyists such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America politicized the tragedy — calling for more gun control laws, saying:

Our leaders owe Americans #MoreThanThoughtsAndPrayers. Send your senators a message and tell them to take action NOW.

They also promoted Senate Democrats’ calls for gun control:

As we prepare for tomorrow’s hearing on gun violence prevention, gun violence is once again ravaging our nation—from the two mass shootings in the past week to the daily toll of homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths.

Thoughts & prayers aren’t enough. It’s time for action.

Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, answered these reactions by stating, “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Everytown for Gun Safety fail to recognize or apologize for their role in facilitating the present Mass Public Shooting.

“Both gun control groups spent years harassing Kroger Co. Family of Stores like King Soopers into banning the open carry of firearms. The corporation finally capitulated in 2019, ‘[a]fter five years of pressure from Everytown and Moms Demand Action.’”

By demanding law-abiding gun owners shop elsewhere, Moms Demand Action and Everytown practically turned King Soopers into a soft target ripe for criminals’ exploitation like this mass murderer.

“Moms Demand Action and Everytown — not Second Amendment Advocates — should apologize for their role in advocating for gun control and disarming the victims of this tragedy,” Johnston continued. “Everytown and Moms Demand Action don’t want our thoughts and prayers, but they also refuse to empower Americans with the very tools used to end this tragic Mass Public Shooting: guns.”

Armed citizen engagement is a proven and effective tool [see page 5]. Gun owners like Stephen Willeford and Jack Wilson have used firearms successfully to save lives during active shooter incidents.

Johnston concluded:

Americans should have their right to carry firearms for self-defense restored by Congress with legislation like the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2021 and state legislatures with Constitutional Carry.

Colorado’s Universal Background Checks, similar to H.R. 8 as recently passed by the House of Representatives, did not prevent this Mass Public Murderer from obtaining his firearm.

And an unconstitutional, so-called “Assault Weapons” Ban would not prevent this criminal from possessing an AR-15.

None of Colorado’s existing gun control prevented this Mass Public Shooting, and no amount of gun control ever will.

Aidan Johnston, or another GOA spokesperson, is available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.

 

— GOA —