(Washington, D.C., Friday, June 25, 2021) – Gun deaths in the U.S. reached their highest levels in decades with more than 38,000 Americans dying each year from gun violence, an average of 100 Americans every day.  There have been more than 240 mass shootings in 2021, as of mid-June.

It’s beyond time for our leaders to take action and close massive loopholes in our current laws that allow people prohibited from purchasing guns to buy them with no questions asked.

Right now, millions of guns are sold by unlicensed dealers without background checks online, at gun shows, and through unregulated person-to-person sales. Background checks reduce gun violence by keeping guns out of the hands of people legally prohibited from having them.

The American people want their elected officials to put their safety over the interests of the gun lobby and put in place common sense solutions that are proven to work. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 89% of Americans support background checks for all gun buyers.

Background checks just passed in the House of Representatives with the support of eight Republicans, one of the few pieces of recent legislation with bipartisan support, and President Biden called for immediate action to reduce gun violence.

Now the Senate must finish the job. A vote in the U.S. Senate is expected this summer.

Giffords is calling on elected officials to take the first critical step to stop senseless gun violence.

Giffords is a leader in the movement to end gun violence in America. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the organization brings decades of political, legal, and policy expertise to the fight for gun safety. Their efforts shift culture, mobilize voters, and challenge injustice. Giffords is fighting to end the gun lobby’s stranglehold on our political system. For more information, visit https://giffords.org/.