“Gun violence is an epidemic in our state and our country today. Guns kill 100 people in the United States every day of every week of every month all year long. And gun violence has intruded into too many of our schools in a country with more guns than people. This has to stop.

“As moms, we want our kids to grow up in communities that are safe, in schools where they can focus on learning and not be traumatized by the drills and lockdowns we need to do over and over again to keep them safe. The school and community violence occurring today is not how America’s moms, or how North Carolina’s moms, want to raise our kids.

“Yesterday’s tragedy at Mount Tabor High School - the second school shooting in NC this week -- is a painful reminder that we have failed in the very basic responsibility to keep our kids safe. We must prioritize the actions we’ve failed to take so far and that starts with keeping all guns off of school campuses. Period, no exceptions. And we need to advance gun safety, community safety, women’s safety, and responsible gun ownership.

“Many school shooters get their guns from their homes or the home of a relative or friend. Safe storage is critical to preventing people who should not have guns from accessing them. We have to ask how the Mount Tabor High School shooter -- a high school student -- learned that the answer to problems can be found at the end of a gun? Unfortunately, that’s the lesson of the ‘guns-everywhere’ culture that rejects all reasonable regulation of firearms at a heavy cost to public safety.

“It’s past time for our local, state and federal lawmakers to reject the NRA, reject the ‘guns-everywhere’ culture, and strengthen -- not repeal - our gun laws. Here in North Carolina, that begins with state legislators sustaining Gov. Cooper’s veto of the Pistol Purchase Permitting system, which has been the backbone of public safety in NC for years. These laws have been proven to save lives, which should be the top priority for all of us.”