Sisolak joins rally against gun violence in Las Vegas
As the sun set Friday at Lorenzi Park, about 75 people gathered on the grass for a rally against gun violence after the slew of recent mass shootings.
Some sat on lawn chairs or beach towels and some stood — many wore orange. It was dubbed a “Wear Orange” event in reference to the national movement against gun violence.
Clark County School District student organizer Patrick Dimasin did not let technical issues with the microphone stop him from sharing his message.
“Children in this country are learning the pain of bullets before reaching double digits in age,” Dimasin shouted.
Gov. Steve Sisolak wore an orange tie and said thoughts and prayers are no longer enough.
“There is no reason you need an AR-15 … These mass shootings are not inevitable, they’re the cause of what we’re allowing to happen,” Sisolak said.
He said young people “should not have to go to school worried about getting shot.”
“We say young people are the future, so let’s treat them like they’re our future,” Dimasin said.
On Tuesday, Sisolak declared Friday as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Nevada.
“I’m grateful so many of my team members are joining me and raising awareness by wearing orange,” he tweeted Friday. “Together, we will work to create a future free from gun violence.”
Earlier Friday, the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was lit up in orange for National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
The use of orange came from friends of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton wearing that color after she was fatally shot in Chicago in 2013, according to a Clark County press release.
“Far too many Americans are losing their lives to gun violence,” county Commissioner Michael Naft said in the release. “We all must do more to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people and encourage safe and responsible gun ownership. Our community knows all too well the cost of failing to act on this issue.”
Last week, Clark County students led a march against gun violence on the Strip.
Contact David Wilson at dwilson @reviewjournal.com. Follow @davidwilson_RJ on Twitter.
