Responding to a special session of the General Assembly on a package of gun violence prevention bills in the wake of a mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Ernest Coverson, the End Gun Violence Campaign Manager, at Amnesty International USA said:
“It is an embarrassment to this state that Virginia lawmakers would turn their backs on the human rights crisis occurring right in their backyard. Countless lives could be saved, if only Virginia lawmakers make the overdue commitment to taking action.
“The ability to go about your daily life in safety and security, free from fear, is at the very heart of human rights. Our leaders’ refusal to do anything is a slap in the face not only to the victims of the Virginia Beach massacre, but all Virginians who have lost their lives to gun violence.”