Announcement of Carolyn Murray Attending the State of the Union Address

Washington, DC (February 8, 2013) — Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement Carolyn Murray attending the State of the Union Address:

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky announced today that Evanston resident Carolyn Murray will be her guest for the State of the Union Address. On November 29, 2012 Ms. Murray's son Justin was fatally shot in Evanston. As a prior Naval Reservist and longtime community activist, Ms. Murray began organizing a gun buyback program in the summer of 2012. She even organized an event held on December 15, less than three weeks after Justin's death, where nearly 50 guns were collected.

Ms. Murray continues to take a stand against gun violence through her work as the Co-Chair of West Evanston Strategic Team and with the Evanston Community Foundation.

President Obama declared that addressing gun-related violence would be a "central issue" for his second term. To echo his commitment, Democratic Members are inviting a person who has been impacted by gun violence to be a guest at this year's State of the Union Address.

"I'm so grateful to welcome Carolyn Murray as my State of the Union guest this year. Ms. Murray has turned her pain into power through her tireless work against gun violence and she is truly making a difference in our community, preventing further violence and saving lives," Congresswoman Schakowsky said. "Our home district in Illinois has seen a great deal of gun violence already this year. It's crucial that we take action against gun violence, so that we can prevent the senseless deaths in the future."

"I'm very excited to join Congresswoman Schakowsky at the State of the Union Address in honor of my son, Justin," said Ms. Murray. "Too many young people have been killed by guns, and it must end. As the mother of a young victim, I'm committed to doing everything in my power to end gun violence. The time is now for Congress to act to save lives."

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