Mourning, outrage, and determination characterized a gathering in Washington, D.C., Thursday of parents whose children died at Sandy Hook Elementary School six months ago.
The mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., left the parents of 20 children grieving—some with a fierce dedication to more stringent gun control. A gun control bill that would have expanded background checks was blocked by a minority of senators in April, however, in spite of bi-partisan support.
Nicole Hockley, the mother of one of the Newtown victims, expressed her determination during the Capitol meeting. “We are committed, completely committed to seeing this through,” she told CBS.
Hockley said she and other parents will have a day of quiet reflection and privacy on Friday, the six-month anniversary of their children’s violent deaths.
“It’s been the longest six months of my entire life, but also the shortest,” Hockley said.
Nelba Marquez Green, who also lost her child six months ago, told CBS: “This is our tragedy December 14, but it’s somebody’s tragedy everyday. It’s somebody’s tragedy April 3, it’s somebody’s tragedy May 16, it’s somebody’s tragedy everyday.”
“Now is the time,” she said.
The families will read the names of the approximately 4,800 people killed by gunfire in the nation since December 14, according to KTVQ.
They will then form a human chain and observe a moment of silence.
Back in Newtown, new fear stirred this week. Newtown publication The Daily Caller reported that schools in the city were locked down on Monday after a telephone threat. The police department had confirmed the lockdown as a precautionary measure without further details.
On Friday, an interfaith gathering will take place on the soccer fields at the Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown.
In Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, playgrounds named for the victims have been built, or are in the planning phase, to replace many of those damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
