Diocese of Salt Lake City Statement on the Mass Shooting in Las Vegas

We join our nation as we mourn the tragic loss of lives in Las Vegas and pray for solace for victims, their families, and the first responders who care for the multitudes harmed by this senseless act of violence.

Life is a gift from God.  We are obligated to respect and protect life. The sad reality is that people are being killed by guns in our country at an alarming and consistent rate. We can no longer pretend that guns are not involved in some way or another.  We need to address the prevalence of guns in our neighborhoods and the disturbing trend of viewing the proliferation of these dangerous weapons as not only acceptable, but desirable.  We call on Congress to not only mourn the victims of gun violence in Las Vegas, Sandy Hook, Orlando, and elsewhere, but to take concrete action to limit access to the weapons that make these tragedies increasingly more likely and more devastating.