Bishop David Zubik's statement on Las Vegas shooting

My heart and my prayers go out to the victims of the Las Vegas massacre and their loved ones. We should all be grateful for the courageous actions of the Las Vegas police. But we must also look beyond this tragedy to broader patterns that allowed it to happen. While little is yet known about motive, this shows that gun control is a pro-life issue.

As I stated in June 2016, following shootings in Orlando, South Carolina and Wilkinsburg:

Jesus is weeping with us and for us.

It is time for us as a nation to require at least as much from those purchasing guns as we expect from those making application for a driver’s license. Public safety must always come first.

I urge our legislators to make it far more difficult for those with dangerously impaired moral reasoning, criminals and terrorists to make their point with a gun. It is important that our government require background checks for all gun purchases, limit civilian access to high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines, make gun trafficking a federal crime, and ensure that those on “no-fly” lists cannot buy guns.

I also urge our legislators to improve access to mental health care for those who may be prone to violence.

No law has ever eliminated the crime it addresses. But laws limit damage, enable the prosecution of perpetrators and make a statement about the values of our society.

Please join with me in prayer that we as a nation will seek to build a society in which the right to life is the standard against which all other rights are measured.

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