Statement on the Shooting at Cornerstone Church of Ames

Last night, a gunman killed two young women in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames before taking his own life. We are saddened and outraged to see yet another instance of people being killed at their sacred place of worship. DMARC stands in solidarity with the families and friends of those killed, Cornerstone Church, the student body of Iowa State University, and the Ames community and we mourn the loss of those killed.

Yesterday’s tragic act of violence follows a multitude of shootings in recent weeks. On Wednesday, four people were killed by a gunman at a medical facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 21 people, including 19 children, were killed by a gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on May 24. On May 14, ten people were killed by a racially-motivated gunman in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. One day later, on May 15, a man open fired on a Taiwanese church congregation in Laguna Woods, California, killing one person. All of these represent examples of the senseless taking of innocent lives in places we should otherwise feel safe – fueled by things like unimpeded hate, embarrassment and jealousy. None of these factors should present a reason to take someone’s life.

We have to acknowledge we have a violence and hate problem in our country that must be addressed. We need positive actions to be taken by our leaders and policy makers. Doing nothing again cannot be an option. How many more lives must be lost before our leaders put aside their partisanship and engage in real conversations about how we stop this – why are they not taking more of a leading role in curtailing some of this hate that has been leading to violence?

Feeling safe is one of our most basic human needs. What can be done with our laws to make us all feel safe again? Presently, nowhere seems to be safe from the horrors of gun violence. But, we believe in the hope that safety can be felt again. With real leadership, we can restore our hope to return to a feeling that anyone can worship, attend school and shop for groceries safely and free of the imminent threat of that violence.

We have watched tragedy after tragedy plague our nation while changing nothing to prevent their continuing in the future. We encourage all our supporters to call and/or write their elected officials and demand action to restore that hope and reduce gun violence.

Find your state Legislators: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find