Delco United Stands with Local Lawmakers Calling for Common Sense Gun Laws

On a windy Friday morning, an extremely cold- but equally determined– group of advocates held a press conference outside of the Media Courthouse, calling for the passage of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) legislation. The leaders of Delco United joined with their partners Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence and CeasefirePA to organize the event, which was held a week after the horrific shooting that took place in a Wawa in Radnor on March 28th. Also in attendance at the conference were Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland, State Sen. Tom Killion, State Rep. Todd Stephens, and State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara.      D.A. Copeland pointed out that, had the ERPO bill been enacted into law previously, it could have saved the life of Stephanie Miller. Miller was senselessly murdered by her ex-husband with an AR-15 that he purchased less than 2 weeks before the shooting. Jessica Frankl, Co-Chair of Delco United, reminded the crowd that, “The tragic loss of life that occurred inside a Wawa in Radnor Township unfortunately is not an isolated incident. With nearly 1,500 firearm deaths in Pennsylvania each year, the ripple effects of gun violence are consistently reverberating through our communities, leaving behind children, parents, classmates, colleagues, and friends wrestling with the trauma that continues long after the cameras and news vans leave. Stephanie’s killer was able to walk into a gunshop and buy an AR-15 LEGALLY, with nothing and no one stopping him. This abomination does not- I repeat- does not need to be our everyday reality.” Many of our lawmakers are already taking the necessary steps to change this reality. Sen. Tom Killion and Rep. Stephens are the prime sponsors of Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation in the Pennsylvania State Senate and State House, respectively. Their life-saving bills, SB 90 and HB 1075, would allow law enforcement and family members to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms, if a judge finds them to be in danger of harming themselves or others. For Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, HB 1075 hits close to home, as her father died by gun suicide when she was just 13 years old. Hundreds of families each year just like hers could benefit from ERPO legislation, which has been proven to significantly reduce the number of firearm suicides. 15 states have enacted similar measures so far; it’s time for Pennsylvania to step up, and join this growing list. You can view coverage of the press conference by clicking the links below: Daily Times Article Fox29 Coverage Phila. Inquirer article 6ABC coverage WHYY article KYW1060 Coverage NBC10 Coverage