KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Monday, the Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence held their 4th Annual forum at the UMKC.
The keynote speaker for the forum was Nicole Hockley, whose son, Dylan, died in the Sandy Hook mass shooting.
“Thoughts and prayers are important, but we need to back them up with actions," said Hockey. "Right now, people are saying, give me something to do that will make a difference. That is what we are here to talk about. There is so much people can do to engage with the issue."
Hockley says education is important and, more importantly, knowing the warning signs given by people in need of help or that want to cause harm to others.
“What we do at Sandy Hook Promise is teach 'prevent' ... How do you recognize the signs of someone that is at risk and then intervene? The issue of gun violence have been so polarized because it has the word 'gun' in it. There is a lot that we need to do on the programmatic side, then follow up with policy,” said Hockley.
This is the fourth year that Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence brought law enforcement, school districts and the community together to talk about stopping gun violence.
“There are more than 300 million guns in our country. That exists. So, we need to stop talking about that. Let's talk about keeping our guns safe. Let's talk about worrying about toddlers finding loaded handguns on the table, or kids with suicide. Let's worry about that,” said Judy Cherry, Co-Chair for the Heartland Coalition Against Gun Violence.
There has been an ongoing debate following the mass shooting in Las Vegas, specifically one about "bump stocks" -- a device the shooter used to make his semi-automatic rifle work like an automatic rifle.
“Any step forward is a step in the right direction. I think bump stocks are a scapegoat in this issue, and it is a band-aid on a huge gaping wound. It is not enough; it is not going to prevent enough deaths,” said Hockley.
The forum hosted a full panel, including members of the Shawnee Mission School District and the Kansas City Police Department.
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