Hundreds March Across Brooklyn Bridge In Demand For Stricter Gun Laws
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Hundreds of ralliers marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, calling for an end to gun violence.
The third annual march across the bridge was organized by the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
As they crossed the bridge, participants yelled "not one more!''
The group says it is taking aim at lax gun laws around the nation, specifically the nearly 40 percent of gun sales completed without a background check, CBS2's Steve Langford reported.
The National Rifle Association opposes expanding background checks, saying no amount of verification can stop criminals from getting guns illegally.
As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, many of the marchers are also gun owners.
Their message: Be a smart gun owner; unload your weapons, then lock them up.
And make sure they do not get into the wrong hands, said Abbey Clements, a teacher who survived the Newtown school massacre in December 2012.
She said people should think about the kids who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School and keep their guns in a safe place.
"I don't want to bring anybody down, but I want people to think, 'What can I do to keep this from happening in my town?'" Clements said.
The daughter of Sandy Hook's slain principal, Dawn Hochsprung, also attended, saying she is hopeful.
"I am just as inspired and just as driven and foreceful as I felt the day after the shooting to make something happen, to not allow my mom to die in vain," said Erica Lafferty.
Several participants spoke about suffering unspeakable losses because of guns, CBS2's Steve Langford reported..
"Three years ago, my son, Akeal, was shot and killed in Brooklyn," one woman said.
"My daughter was murdered 6 1/2 years ago now," said another mom.
"My daughter was murdered on Mother's Day nine years ago," another woman said.
Organizers said the proliferation of guns results in an average of more than 80 deaths a day across the country.
Among the 1,000 men, women and children who marched across the Brooklyn Bridge was the founder of the group, Shannon Watts.
"Two million American children in this country live in homes with unsecured guns," she warned.
The march ended with a rally outside City Hall in lower Manhattan.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)