Madison, WI – On Monday, July 4, a shooter attacked an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The alleged shooter killed seven people and injured more than 30 in the attack. The alleged shooter then came to Madison after the attack in Highland Park and “seriously contemplated” using a gun and the rounds in his car to attack a celebration in Madison the same day, according to the police.
State Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“Resorting to only thoughts and prayers right now is unacceptable. Americans are not safe. Wisconsinites are not safe. To hear from the alleged Highland Park shooter that he ‘seriously contemplated’ attacking a similar celebration in Madison is absolutely terrifying.
“According to the Gun Violence Archive today, the United States has had 320 mass shootings in this year alone. My Democratic colleagues and I have called for serious gun reform time after time, shooting after shooting, and yet the GOP have sat on their asses and failed to deliver what the majority of Wisconsinites are demanding.
“Everyone in Wisconsin should feel safe to go to the grocery store, to the movie theater, to their place of worship, to an Independence Day parade. By not enacting common sense gun violence reforms, we are failing to protect the folks of this state.
“Gun violence reform is not a controversial issue here in Wisconsin. According to a June 2022 Marquette Law School Poll, 81% of Wisconsinites support red flag laws and 79% support mandatory background checks for gun purchases at gun shows or through private sales. Every day that we do not pass pragmatic gun safety laws, we are failing to keep Wisconsin safe.”