Statement by President-elect Joe Biden on the 10th Anniversary of the Tucson Shooting

Ten years ago today, in Tucson, Arizona, six innocent lives were taken away by a senseless and brutal act of violence: Dorothy Morris, Judge John Roll, Phyllis Scheck, Dorwin Stoddard, Gabriel Zimmerman, and nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green. In the decade since, too many families have known the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence, of futures stolen and dreams cut down before their time. Today, Jill and I remember the people we lost in Tucson, and all of the families whose lives were irreversibly changed that day.

Among those wounded in that horrific attack was my friend Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, whose perseverance and immeasurable courage in the years since has been an inspiration to millions. Like so many survivors of violence, Gabby has turned tragedy into purpose, working with other leaders across the country to transform the fight for gun safety reform from a cause to a movement. Every day she fights to make our communities safer and move us closer to our goal of a nation free from gun violence. As President, I pledge to continue to work together with Congresswoman Giffords, and with survivors, families, and advocates across the country, to defeat the NRA and end the epidemic of gun violence in America.