A mother whose son was killed in an accidental shooting is one of several speakers to discuss gun violence next Wednesday night.
Ann Marie Crowell from Moms on a Mission will be joined by John Rosenthal from Stop Handgun Violence and Ann Krantz from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The program, sponsored by Community Action Inc. of Haverhill, takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Oct. 8 at the Haverhill Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St.
“On December 24,1997, my life as a wife and mother of three, was tragically turned upside down with the accidental shooting death of our youngest child—our 12-year-old son Brian. After keeping a vigil at the hospital with our family and friends, the doctor came to us with the news that there was nothing more they could do for him and that he only had a few heartbeats left and that we could be with him. On that night we witnessed the end of our beautiful and handsome son’s life,” Crowell writes at www.safegunssavekids.org.
According to Moms Demand Action Massachusetts, “American kids are 16 times more likely to be accidentally shot and killed than kids in other developed countries. A majority of these deaths happen when children are in their own homes, unsupervised and playing with a gun,”
The group says about a third of U.S. children live in homes with guns, but many guns are not stored responsibly. Approximately 31,000 people die by gun every year in the U.S., some by homicide, some by suicide, and others in accidental shootings.
Community Action is a private non-profit organization established in 1965 to address the causes and consequences of poverty in the greater Haverhill, Amesbury and Newburyport areas.
I am really looking forward to this event. I think it’s a great opportunity to learn from others and to discuss our community.