Parents of Sandy Hook school shooting victims respond to Trump's attempted assassination

Parents of the child victims killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School have responded to the weekend shooting at former President Donald Trump's rally.

The attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday has sparked reactions from either side of the political aisle. Republican and Democratic leaders , as well as world leaders , have expressed concern for the former president and condemnation of such acts of political violence.

Among those who have publicly responded to the event are leaders of the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise.

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'A public health epidemic that affects us all'

Just a day after the Trump rally shooting, Sandy Hook Promise released a statement , which includes words from founders and CEOs Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden — both of whom lost children in the Sandy Hook school shooting.

"The horrifying and senseless act of political violence goes against everything we stand for as a nation and affirms the reality that gun violence is a public health epidemic that affects us all," Hockley said. "No one should ever live in fear of being shot. Our elected officials, our communities, and our children all deserve to be safe. These tragedies continue to wreak havoc and create trauma for families across the country, regardless of background."

Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by those who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012. It strives to honor the lives lost to gun violence by "turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation" by taking action to prevent further acts.

"My thoughts are with all the victims and their families, and I wish for a healthy recovery for President Trump and the injured survivors. America should be a country that provides safety for all – at political rallies, schools, places of worship, and in everyday life – so people can live without fear of gun violence," Hockley said. "My hope is that we recognize the many common-sense solutions to end this epidemic and unite for them. Now more than ever, we must come together to end this crisis."

'We must come together as a nation'

Sandy Hook Promise's mission focuses on bipartisan, collaborative efforts to prevent gun violence. The Trump Administration worked with the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) to pass the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 . A few years later, SHPAF also collaborated with the Biden Administration and Congress to create the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act .

"Gun violence doesn’t care about your political affiliation. It doesn’t care about party lines. It doesn’t care whether you’re a public figurehead or an ordinary person going about your day, whether at the grocery store, ballpark, or a concert." Barden said. "This epidemic touches every single one of our lives and we must come together as a nation to support bipartisan policy solutions that can save lives. We all have the power to create a safer future for our country and our children."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Parents of Sandy Hook school shooting victims respond to Trump's attempted assassination