WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday released the following statement on the ninth anniversary of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School:

“My heart aches today—for the 20 children and six teachers who were taken from us nine years ago today at Sandy Hook Elementary School, for the families who have had to live with the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence, and for the entire Newtown community,” said Murphy. “But my heart is also buoyed by examples of love and perseverance. After this tragedy, we saw the entire nation come together to rally behind Newtown. And we saw families who lost loved ones turn their grief into action, spearheading initiatives to prevent future tragedies. Their strength is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”

Murphy continued: “It’s these people who fuel my work to pass common sense gun safety laws and initiatives to reduce gun violence in our cities. This is a movement supported by the vast majority of Americans, and we’re not stopping our fight to save lives at the federal, state, or local level. We keep up the work to honor the memories of those we lost at Sandy Hook and in shootings across the country. Love and perseverance will win the day.”

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