Arkansans To Join National Day Of Action To Urge Senator Pryor, Arkansas Leaders To Follow Colorado's Lead, Pass Common-Sense Gun Laws On One-Year Anniversary Of Aurora Movie Theater Massacre

In Little Rock, Arkansans Will Gather Signatures, Pass out Flyers to Raise Gun Violence Awareness, Spread Message That All Arkansans Should Feel Safe in Public Spaces

*** Media Advisory***

Events Coincide with the "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" Bus Tour; www.NoMoreNames.org

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday in Little Rock, Arkansans will gather signatures and pass out flyers for a petition drive to urge Senator Mark Pryor and statewide leaders to take action to reduce gun violence and spread the message that everyone should feel safe in public spaces. The event is part of a National Day of Action to mark the one-year anniversary of the movie theater massacre in Aurora, Colorado, urging leaders nationwide to follow Colorado's lead to pass common-sense public safety laws.

After the mass shooting at the Century 16 movie theater that killed 12 people and injured another 70, the state of Colorado passed comprehensive legislation expanding background checks to all gun sales, which will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals, individuals with severe mental illnesses and domestic abusers.

Independent polls that have found that 84 percent of Arkansans support background checks for all buyers.

The Day of Action comes a day after a Friday remembrance event in Aurora where participants will honor the memory of those killed and injured in last year's tragic shooting, and read the names of thousands of gun violence victims from across the country from Friday until 12:38 a.m. on Saturday, July 20th, when there will be a moment of silence to coincide with the exact time of the July 2012 shooting.

Every day 33 Americans are murdered with guns in America. "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" is part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' ongoing, national effort to continue raising awareness to the issue of gun violence in America – and most importantly, to urge elected officials to prioritize the safety of the people they represent.

Details on the Arkansas Day of Action are below:

Little Rock
What: National Day of Action Petition Drive to Mark Aurora Anniversary
Who: Concerned Arkansans
Where: Little Rock Pavilion: 500 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock, AR  
When: Saturday, July 20, 10 AM to 1 PM

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 950 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org

MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Downen: kdownen@maig.org or 406-224-5056
Jack Warner: jwarner@maig.org or 914-575- 1090

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns