VIDEO: Kaine Statement Ahead Of 15th Anniversary of Virginia Tech Shooting
Video remarks are available here
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine issued the following statement today ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, which killed 32 people and left 17 more injured on April 16, 2007:
“Today, I'm thinking about the beautiful members of the Virginia Tech community whose lives were tragically cut short 15 years ago. These Virginians had so many dreams left to accomplish, and so much life ahead of them. I’m holding their loved ones in my heart.
“I’m also thinking about how Virginia Tech has shown again and again that we have it in our power to band together during tough times and support one another. I’m still inspired by the Hokie Nation’s spirit that I saw in the wake of this horrific tragedy.
“At the time, the Virginia Tech shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States. Since then, the Las Vegas and Orlando shootings have taken even more lives too soon. Enough is enough. We must take commonsense steps to prevent the heartbreak caused by horrific acts of gun violence.”
Video remarks from Kaine regarding the anniversary are available here.
Kaine has long advocated for expanding access to mental health services and establishing universal background checks to make communities safer. In 2020, he introduced the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act, a bill to federally enact a series of commonsense gun violence prevention measures adopted by Virginia, including universal background checks.
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