Kelly O'Brien, Fiancée of Slain Giffords Staffer, Endorses Ban On Large Capacity Gun Magazines

Brady Campaign releases large ammo ad that calls on President Obama to act

Apr 12, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  A coalition of gun violence prevention supporters, led by the Brady Campaign, today announced that the pressure to ban large capacity ammunition magazines is mounting. Kelly O'Brien, the fiancée of Gabe Zimmerman, who was killed in Tucson by a shooter armed with oversized magazines, is on Capitol Hill today to support legislation by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would ban ammo magazines that hold more than 10 bullets.  Ross Zimmerman, Gabe's father, also was in attendance.

O'Brien admires Sen. Lautenberg for his decades of work to prevent gun violence, and she's ready to follow in Rep. McCarthy's footsteps as an advocate for laws to help protect more Americans from gun violence. Both women are nurses who became national activists after shooters with large-capacity ammunition magazines took the lives of their partners.  They now are working with Sen. Lautenberg and more than 100 House co-sponsors to urge other members of Congress, President Obama, and the public to support H.B. 308 and S.B. 32 to help eliminate large cap magazines.

"I'm here on Capitol Hill today to express my absolute support for banning large capacity magazines," said O'Brien. "I'm here to tell Americans that knowing that so many people can be gunned down and killed in just a few seconds by one of these extended capacity clips is heartbreaking. I don't want to see other families go through what ours has gone through. I'm here today to applaud Rep. McCarthy and Senator Lautenberg for leading the way to ensure that these large magazines have no place in our society." 

Brady President Paul Helmke praised O'Brien for her courage in speaking out and announced that as a follow-up to her visit, the Brady Campaign is releasing an ad calling on Americans to take action to help get "assault clips" banned. "Kelly's presence today should inspire all Americans. She's a young woman who has suffered an enormous loss, but she, like Rep. McCarthy, has chosen to work for legislation that can help save the lives of other Americans," Helmke said.

 "There is no Second Amendment right to be able to maim and kill your fellow Americans with military-style arms. When the large-capacity magazine restriction was in place from 1994 - 2004, it helped reduce gun violence. That's why the Brady Campaign is continuing to pressure elected officials to support a ban on these 'assault clips.' We are releasing a new television ad on Wednesday that helps make it clear that these lethal accessories make all of us a target. If our nation can agree that machine guns, cop-killer bullets, and plastic guns ought to be restricted, surely we can agree that large-capacity magazines don't belong in our communities."

To find out more, visit the Campaign website at banassaultclips.com

Rep. McCarthy is more resolute than ever to see large-capacity ammunition magazines banned. "Like me and too many other Americans, Kelly is living proof that gun violence doesn't just affect the ones who get shot; hundreds of thousands of spouses, partners, parents and children must live with this tragedy daily," McCarthy said. "I wish it didn't take tragedy to bring us together, but I'm proud to work with Kelly and determined to help pass measures that reduce injuries and save lives."

Sen. Lautenberg agrees and will work tirelessly with O'Brien to bring about the change that America needs. "I am proud to have the support of Kelly O'Brien as we continue working to ban high-capacity gun magazines, eliminate senseless violence and save lives," said Sen.Lautenberg. "The tragedy in Tucson changed Kelly's life, and now she is helping us change the law. Bringing back the ban on super-sized gun magazines like the one used in Arizona will make America safer."  

Large capacity magazines have been used in many mass shootings, including at Virginia Tech (32 killed, 17 wounded); Fort Hood (13 killed, 34 wounded); Columbine High School (13 killed, 23 wounded), and the Long Island Railroad (6 killed, 19 wounded). Police chiefs across the country report increases in the use of weapons with large capacity ammunition magazines in crime and against police officers and civilians since the federal ban expired.

New magazines containing more than 10 rounds were banned under the Federal Assault Weapons Act, but Congress did not renew the law in 2004, despite widespread support from over 70% of Americans. Today six states and the District of Columbia limit the capacity of magazines.

While supporters of the magazine ban understand that gun violence can still occur with a 10-bullet magazine, past shootings illustrate that damage to human life can and were limited to the firepower of the gun magazines. When Jared Loughner's magazine was empty, he was stopped while attempting to reload. Unfortunately, a large capacity magazine enabled him to fire more than three times the rounds of a standard magazine.

###

The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizens' lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, empowering the American people to hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

For more insight on gun violence prevention, follow The Brady Blog, Facebook Page and Twitter Account.

Brady News Releases are available via RSS