HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released a statement on Saturday in support of the ‘March For Our Lives’ movements organized across Connecticut.

“Ninety people in this country die every single day from gun violence – a rate higher than any other industrialized nation in the world. Most politicians only pay attention when the mass tragedies happen, like Sandy Hook and Parkland, but the gun violence epidemic doesn't take a day off. For kids in places like Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Haven, they live it every day. This is a uniquely American problem, and it’s not because we have more mental illness in this country – we don’t. It’s not because our schools are less secure – they’re not. It’s not because we spend less money on law enforcement – we don’t. It’s because it’s incredibly easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons, and because Congress refuses to do anything about it.

“Thank you to everyone who’s speaking out and marching today. Whether you support universal background checks, banning certain types of weapons, or want to have a conversation about how to address social isolation – or all that and more – there’s a place for you in this discussion. Stick with it because it’s going to be advocates like you who lead the way. I’ll be here to partner with you in any way that I can.”

This statement was distributed to March For Our Lives organizers across Connecticut.