Washington D.C., Jul 7, 2022 / 17:00 pm
Following the July 4 shooting near Chicago, the U.S. bishops’ conference called for a continued push for change and noted its support for strengthened gun laws.
“Over the holiday, yet another community experienced the devastation of a mass shooting, a situation that has become shockingly commonplace in our country,” began a July 6 statement from Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chair of the pro-life committee; and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chair of the laity and family life committee.
A man opened fire on a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven and injuring dozens.
“One of the many horrors that emerged from this shooting was the orphaning of a two-year-old boy. He was found underneath his father, who died shielding him from gunfire. Our prayers are with this child, and all those who grieve in the face of this tragedy,” the bishops reflected.