Reps. Crow, DeGette, Thompson, & Colorado Senators Remember Columbine 25 Years Later, Demand Congressional Action to End Gun Violence Now
View Full Press Conference Here
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), combat veteran and member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (GVPTF), held a press conference alongside Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, GVPTF Chair Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), survivors of gun violence, and leaders from gun violence prevention organizations ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting. This comes as Congressman Crow introduced a resolution in remembrance of the April 20, 1999 shooting in Littleton, Colorado that killed twelve students and a teacher, wounded over 20 others, and left many marked for life.
Highlighting inaction from Congress 25 years on and the need for lifesaving legislation – including an assault weapons ban, Crow and bicameral leaders were joined by Tom Mauser, whose son Daniel Mauser was killed in the Columbine shooting, Kiki Leyba, a current teacher at Columbine High School who survived the shooting in 1999, Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action, Rachel Hill, GIFFORDS Courage Fellow and gun violence survivor, and Stephan Abrams, a member of Brady’s Team ENOUGH Executive Council.
Reps. Crow and DeGette, Tom Mauser, and Kiki Leyba with leaders and volunteers from Moms Demand Action, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence.
Photo courtesy of the Office of Congressman Jason Crow
In the press conference, Congressman Crow, lawmakers, and gun violence prevention movement leaders said:
“Families in Colorado’s 6th, like many across the nation, are all too familiar with the devastating and lasting impacts of gun violence on our communities. We had a chance to say ‘never again’ and mean it after Columbine. Twenty-five years later, it’s happened time and time again,” said Congressman Crow. “I applaud the Biden Administration's recent efforts to close the gun show loophole – but we cannot wait another 25 years to make a lifesaving change.The fight against gun violence will take us all.”
“I represented Columbine for many years before I turned it over to my good friend and true gun violence prevention champion, Jason Crow. In the 25 years since Columbine, more than 360,000 students have experienced violence at school,” said Congresswoman DeGette. “Students shouldn't be scared to go to class. Gun violence prevention is not a partisan issue. It affects every family in this country – and it's past time now for us to act at a national level. I am proud to work with leaders like Jason and our Senators to advocate for life-saving legislation.”
“25 years after Columbine, the leading cause of death for children in America is gun violence. It wasn't when I was the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools or when Kiki started to teach at Columbine. No other country can say that about kids. No other country in the world is a place where kids grow up feeling at risk when they go to school,” said Senator Bennet. “Colorado has grown up in the shadow of gun violence because we haven't done anything material about it as a nation. When we do, when we will, we show that democracy actually works – and for that, we owe everyone in this movement a debt of gratitude.”
“When I was governor of Colorado, we were able to make some advances – passing universal background checks, banning large capacity magazines – but even then it felt insufficient,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “What's happened in the last 25 years is not insignificant. It's immense, because we are building up that resolve to finally take action at the national level to address gun violence. We're at that point now.”
“Kids should be safe at school, at the movies, at the mall – kids should be safe everywhere,” said Congressman Thompson. “For over a decade now, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force has worked to bring about the change that has been so elusive, including recent success expanding background checks. But we have more work to do. Twenty-five years after 13 lives were taken at Columbine High School, guns are the number one cause of death for kids and teenagers. This is unacceptable, but together we can and will make our communities safer.”
“We can not wait another 25 years to get a significant gun safety legislature,” said Tom Mauser. “The story is not over – not just for Columbine and the Columbine community, but in the case of all gun violence. It’s important for people to know that for the people who’ve lived through gun violence the story is never over.”
“I was a teacher at Columbine and still teach there 25 years after the shooting. In 25 years, we’ve learned the significant impact of gun violence. It is a painful, difficult, and lonely journey – uninvited and unwanted. Trauma comes into these communities, and takes up residence there for decades,” said Kiki Leyba. “Concerning the mental health of victims and support systems, I like to think that we teach our students to rise above and to have hope. Today, younger generations are there to do the work that it takes to make change happen. They are tired of gun violence – and will use their votes to make a difference.”
Rep. Crow and Tom Mauser with Moms Demand Action advocates.
Photo courtesy of the Office of Congressman Jason Crow
Congressman Crow has consistently fought for lifesaving measures to end gun violence in our communities, including to ensure proper implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities law – the first comprehensive gun safety reform package in nearly 30 years. Crow continues to be a strong voice in support of a national assault weapons ban and ending the Senate filibuster to move forward on addressing the crisis.
The Columbine massacre, previously the deadliest mass shooting at a K-12 school in US history, was later surpassed by the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in December 2012, the Parkland high school shooting in February 2018, and subsequently by the Uvalde school shooting in May 2022.
As of 2023, gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens in the US.