U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Holds Town Hall on Gun Violence Prevention

PLYMOUTH, MN -Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) hosted an in-person town hall specifically focused on gun violence prevention. In the wake of the horrific tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Rep. Morrison was joined by parents from Annunciation Catholic School, a trauma surgeon who operated on children injured in the shooting, and youth advocates for a discussion on what we can do to work toward meaningful change to address gun violence.

Rep. Morrison held the town hall to amplify the voices of those directly impacted by gun violence, bring the community together to process and heal in the wake of the unthinkable acts of political violence and gun violence experienced this summer, and demand immediate action by elected leaders to address this public health crisis.

Before the town hall started, doors opened 90 minutes early to provide a space for community gathering and a chance to honor the memory of those we've lost to gun violence and share what people in the community are advocating for.

Rep. Morrison is a doctor for more than 20 years, Minnesota's newest member of Congress, and a member of the U.S. House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

Read a transcript of Rep. Morrison's opening remarks below.

Good evening,

Thank you so very much for coming out tonight.

Thank you to Wayzata Central Middle School for hosting us.

Thank you to all of the Plymouth Police Department for keeping us safe tonight and keeping us safe every day.

We also have some of our local elected officials here - state senators and representatives, mayors, city council and school board members. Please stand if you are in that category. Thank you for the hard work that you do in our communities and our state every single day.

Thank you to the incredible young leaders of Scout Troop 283 from Wayzata for leading us in the pledge of allegiance.

I also want to thank the remarkable and brave speakers and moderator who have joined us tonight and will be up here shortly to share their stories.

And thanks to each and every one of you who came here tonight to be together in community, to speak out and to share your story, and to push for meaningful change.

It's difficult to put into words how our community is feeling right now.

Our community has been terrorized by unthinkable acts of political violence and gun violence this summer.

We are grieving, and at the same time, we are in an undeniably perilous moment in our country's history. It's a lot.

There are some families from Annunciation Catholic School here tonight with us. Thank you for being here.

I want to pause and tell you how profoundly sorry I am for all that your children, and your families, and your community have been through.

You have been heavy on my mind and my heart since that terrible day.

And my heart goes out to every child, parent, teacher, first responder, health care worker, who was there and experienced the horrific act of senseless gun violence that day… and to all the loved ones, community members, and people across our state and country who watched that nightmare event unfold.

Before we get started, I would like to take just a brief moment of silence in honor of all those we have lost to gun violence in our community.

Thank you.

Tonight, we have gathered because it is in these times that it is more important than ever for us to be together.

To be in community, to process, to grieve… and to organize.

To push for change and to finally address our nation's gun violence crisis.

While we are still reeling in the aftermath of the unthinkable tragedies of this summer, the reality is that gun violence is an epidemic that has strained our country - and is only going in the wrong direction.

Far too many Americans have been impacted and had their lives forever changed by gun violence.

Every day in the United States of America, 125 people are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children and law enforcement.

As a mother myself, a doctor, and an American, I find that completely unacceptable.

Whether it's a mass shooting, targeted political violence, death by suicide, or a mental health crisis - gun violence is pervasive and destructive.

And it affects everyone. Our children. Our veterans. People in urban areas - people in rural areas. It affects everyone. All of us.

And it's difficult to overstate the ripple effect of gun violence through our communities and across the country.

You know, the statistics focus on the people who were killed or injured by gun violence. But there are also the people who witnessed the violence. And their loved ones. And the people in their community. And the law enforcement who responded to the scene. And the first responders who try to stabilize and transfer the victims to emergency medical care. And the health care providers who treat the victims.

The trauma of gun violence is felt widely by a community. And it doesn't go away when the event is over.

This shouldn't be the way we live. It doesn't have to be.

But we're not powerless. Gun violence is a preventable tragedy - and there are things we can do to make our kids and our communities safer.

There isn't one single policy that will end this public health crisis, but there are steps that we can take immediately.

Banning assault weapons. [Standing ovation.] I'm going to take a clip of that moment back to DC and play it for my colleagues.

The list goes on.

Banning high capacity magazine sales.

Banning bump stocks.

Universal background checks.

Repealing the liability shield for gun manufacturers.

Requiring gun insurance so that the industry is better regulated.

Addressing our nation's mental health crisis and passing federal legislation to curb this epidemic.

What we can't do, is nothing.

Our children are watching us and they are looking to the adults to protect them.

I just had an incredible conversation with some young leaders from Edina High School and that is the resounding message that I left with: it's on the adults to protect the children.

What action will we take?

The way we make change is by organizing. By coming together. By using our voices and speaking out, creating public pressure, and demanding change. That's exactly why we're here tonight.

I want to thank everyone who showed up early to participate in our community gathering event.

I just read a few of the messages you wrote on the orange hearts - and I'm going to share them at the end of our program, a couple of them, they're incredible.

We have similar letters from a previous town hall hung outside my office in Washington, and it's one of my favorite things to watch people as they walk down the hallway - we have them on bright pieces of paper. Every day, people stop and read, they take pictures, they talk to each other about what's hanging up on that wall.

To see what people are fighting for. To be a visible display of hope and advocacy and push for change. To remind people that they are not alone in this fight. To remind people that it is the people who own those walls in Congress.

So thank you. I look forward to bringing your voices, your advocacy, your stories back with me to Washington and to keep fighting for you every single day. Thank you.

I'm going to turn it over now to three truly remarkable parents who have children at Annunciation Catholic School… who had children who were present that awful day, who are, of course, still in the throes of dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event like this.

Carla, Stephanie, Malia, … thank you for your courage, sharing your stories, speaking out, and advocating for change.

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