Anti-Gun Vigil Will Remember Those Killed At Newtown Saturday

An anti-gun rally will be held in the Caldwells on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. 

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America NJ will host a memorial event on Saturday at 9:15 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, at 326 Bloomfield Ave. in Caldwell. 

The vigil, called “No More Silence,” is intended to send a clear message that it’s time to make noise about gun reform, said the group in a press release. 

Moms Demand Action will honor the Newtown, Conn., victims and all victims of gun violence through bell ringing in lieu of a moment of silence.

“The tragedy at Sandy Hook was a wake-up call for many of us and we can no longer be silent about our nation’s raging epidemic of gun violence,” said Mandi Perlmutter, Chapter Leader of the New Jersey Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. 

“Nearly eight children and teens are shot and killed everyday in America. It is time our voices are heard.”

The Caldwell event will be co-sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the West Essex Ministerial Association and will include remarks from Dr. Richard N. Sommers of First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell and Father Anthony J. Randazzo of Notre Dame Parish in North Caldwell. 

The event will culminate in a communal bell ringing to honor the 26 victims killed in Newtown, and to demonstrate that American mothers will never again be silent about gun violence. 

Nationally, there will be more than 50 No More Silence events in 35 states. A full list of events is available here: http://momsdemandaction.org/no-more-silence/

“What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary was an unimaginable tragedy for my family, and the families of all of the victims,” said Maura Sherlach Schwartz, a national spokesperson for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and daughter of Mary Sherlach, a school psychologist shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. 

“It was also a shattering wake-up call for millions of mothers across America. I am proud to be part of this powerful grassroots movement working to combat the national epidemic of gun violence that claims the lives of nearly eight children or teens every day.”

A Week Of Action

In the week leading up to the anniversary, members of Moms Demand Action will engage in a week of action, during which they will call on Congress to immediately enact common-sense reforms such as comprehensive background checks for gun purchases.

Sunday will mark the one-year anniversary of Moms Demand Action, which was founded one day after the mass shooting in Newtown. 

In just 12 months, Moms Demand Action has more than 125,000 members with a chapter in every state. The grassroots movement’s members have been instrumental in securing significant legislative victories at the state and local levels, including the passage of strong new gun laws in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York.

Moms Demand Action also has been active in supporting candidates with gun sense, including endorsements for Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Virginia Governor-Elect Terry McAuliffe.