On Thursday afternoon in Hartford, there was a somber undercurrent outside the capitol following Wednesday night's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.
“It’s devastating. It’s retraumatizing for our community,” Newtown Action Alliance co-founder Po Murray said.
Horror unfolding in Maine, hitting close to home in Connecticut.
“We know too well what they’re going through, but what we don’t know is being locked down for days until the gunman has been apprehended,” Murray said.
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Murray was one of several advocates and victims of gun violence at the capitol on Thursday.
“You never truly recover. You don’t move on. The void in your heart never gets filled. It is just a constant reminder of all that you’ve lost,” Kristin Song, mother of Ethan Miller Song, said.
The tragedy unfolding in Maine was top of mind for everyone who gathered at a press conference originally called to raise awareness for the upcoming #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback.
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“I can’t think of a better day to gather to remind people about the gun buyback program,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D-Connecticut) said.
“When you have a firearm in your home that is unsecured, unsafe or is unwanted, bring it to the gun buyback. If you have a firearm that you want to keep safe, we have a limited number but we have plenty of safes to give out,” Dr. David Shapiro of Saint Francis Hospital said.
This year marks the third annual statewide buyback program, while local municipalities like Hartford have offered something similar for 16 years.
“We’re really appreciative to have this combined effort with other people in the state. It’s brought a lot of focus to it, and it’s really energized the program the past two years,” Hartford Police Sgt. Christopher Mastroianni said.
Connecticut residents can turn in unwanted firearms on Saturday, Oct. 28 at most locations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Locations include Guilford, Hartford (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Meriden, Middletown, Newtown, Norwalk, Stamford (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Waterbury.
