GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — On Sunday, a group of concerned and determined women gathered at Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids for a meeting of Moms Demand Action.
Moms Demand Action is the nation’s largest grassroots group fighting against gun violence, with a chapter in every state.
Sunday's meeting is the first since significant gun reform legislation has passed in Michigan. The Michigan Senate has passed an 11-bill gun safety package, including universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and so-called "red flag laws".
The bills still need to be approved by the Michigan House, but Governor Gretchen Whitmer has said she will sign off on the legislation if it does.
Members have been calling attention to the problem for years and say it's a step in the right direction.
"We have so many unintentional shootings, children who get a hold of guns that shouldn't have them. They're kept in glove boxes or under the couch. And people think that secure storage, well it isn't," said Christina VanEyl. "Mass shootings are only less than 2% of the gun deaths in the United States. The others are our homicides and suicides are more than 50% of the gun deaths. So the more you know about gun violence, the bigger the issue is."
KC Laskey joined the group after the shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. She's a gun violence survivor, twice over.
"I was a student at Virginia Tech in April of 2007. I lost a number of dear friends that day, went to way too many funerals the following week for someone that was just 20 years old," Laskey told FOX 17."Seven years later, my husband and I worked for Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC, and my husband was on base that day in the building where a shooting also took place."
"I can't just sit idly by and let something horrific like this happen to my children," she continued. "I have three young kids and I have to be a part of the fix. I need to make sure that I'm doing everything that I can to make sure that this doesn't happen to them."
Gun violence also hit too close to home for Gretchen Hice, a new attendee.
"My son is a junior at Michigan State University. So of course, I was affected by the recent incident that took place there, and he was affected as well. And I just really worry about, you know, all these kids that are exposed to these types of things."
Members say they will continue to work to be a part of the solution.
"It's a big job and it's going to take all of us, so we welcome anybody who would like to be a part of this of this movement to help us make our world safer," said VanEyl.
To learn more about Moms Demand Action, search the organization on Facebook, visit the website or text 64433 to be connected to the nearest group.
