U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy from Winter Park, Fla., has invited Dr. Marc Levy, a surgeon who saved the lives of victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting last summer, to be her special guest at the president’s first address to a joint session of Congress. Levy has called for more scientific and medical research on gun violence – from root causes to improved medical treatment – in order to save lives. Murphy invited Levy to raise awareness on gun violence and to encourage Congress and the president to take action on the issue.
“Last summer’s Pulse nightclub shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in our country’s history and one of our darkest days, but we can and should learn from this tragedy,” said Murphy. “Every single injured person that made it to the hospital that night survived because of professionals like Dr. Levy, but some in the medical community aren’t yet prepared for these type of battlefield injuries that are becoming all too frequent. We need more scientific and medical research to help stop gun violence before it happens and then to help save lives when it does. I’m proud to invite Dr. Levy who is a leading advocate for more research to reduce gun violence and who personifies the courage and selflessness that so many first responders, law enforcement officers, and ordinary citizens demonstrated that tragic evening.”
Each year, about 33,000 Americans die in gun-related incidents, about the same number of Americans who annually lose their lives in car accidents. Nearly 40 percent of the gun-related deaths in this country are homicides, with one human being using a firearm to take the life of another.
