An emotional plea for increased gun control in the United States has been made by the mother of Pulse nightclub shooting victim Christopher Andrew, at the Democratic National Convention.
Appearing on stage in honour of the 49 victims of the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Christine Leinonen, the 49-year-old mother of Christopher Andrew “Drew” started her speech by recalling that it takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times, before saying, “the weapon that murdered my son fires 30 rounds in one minute.”
Recalling her son’s accomplishments to the audience who rose up and cheered, “In high school, he won the Anne Frank Award for starting the gay-straight alliance.”
32-year-old Christopher Andrew “Drew” died with his boyfriend 22-year-old Juan Ramon Guerrero, along with 47 other victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, where a lone gunman with an automatic weapon attacked the gay Orlando nightclub.
Supported by Pulse shooting survivor Brandon Wolf and her son’s ex-boyfriend, Jose Arriagada, Leinonen, who worked as a Michigan state trooper, recalled that on the day her only son was born, the hospital put her gun in a safe as a precaution. “I am glad common-sense gun policy was in place the day Christopher was born, but where was that common sense the day he died?” she asked.
Watch Christine Leinonen’s entire speech below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUFQuirW-1w
Last Updated on Jul 29, 2016
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