Senator Dave Min Releases Statement on Atlanta-Area Spa Shootings

Min, author of gun violence prevention bill and resolution condemning hate crimes: “Thoughts and prayers are not enough.”

SACRAMENTO, CA — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) released a statement today remarking on the horrific shootings in Atlanta Tuesday night. According to reports, the eight victims were mostly women and four were of Korean descent. Min, author of Senate Bill 264, which ends gun shows in California, and Senate Resolution 12, which condemns the surge in anti-Asian hate, said: 

“Yesterday we saw the specter of gun violence once again raise its ugly head in this country,” Min said. “Unfortunately, as we return to normalcy, we’re going to see many more of the mass shootings that used to dominate the headlines on a regular basis before the pandemic. The news broke right as I was presenting my gun violence prevention bill, just hours after my resolution condemning anti-Asian hate crimes passed out of the Judiciary Committee. My heart breaks for the victims of this massacre and their families and friends, and also for the many Asian Americans who feel targeted right now in this country. While many will offer their thoughts and prayers, I want to emphasize that this is not enough. We need action to address these two epidemics that are plaguing our country right now — gun violence and bigotry.”

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Dave Min represents California State Senate District 37, which is located in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Foothill Ranch, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.

Dave was a University of California Irvine law professor and a former economic policy staffer in the United States Senate and for the Center for American Progress. He began his legal career at the Securities and Exchange Commission to protect the retirement security of seniors, turning down high paying jobs to serve the public interest. Dave and his wife Jane live and work in Irvine, where they are raising their three young children.