Giffords: ‘Be bold. Be courageous,’ support gun background checks

Survivors of the 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and victims’ loved ones gathered at the site of the attack Wednesday to call for tougher gun-control laws.

Giffords, her husband, Mark Kelly, and others took turns at the podium to call for universal background checks.

“It’s very hard for me to be here today, here where my son was gunned down,” said Emily Nottingham, whose son, Gabe Zimmerman, was killed along with five others during a meet-and-greet constituent event for Giffords.

Jared Lee Loughner, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was sentenced in November to life in prison without parole in the rampage. He fired nearly three dozen shots from a Glock semiautomatic pistol with a high-capacity ammunition magazine into the crowd.

“I call on U.S. Sens. [Jeff] Flake and [John] McCain to not think about political posturing and political positioning,” Nottingham said of the Republican lawmakers. “... Together, we can ensure that there are many fewer deaths of our daughters and our sons. Let’s just do it.”

“We’re here to draw attention to this problem,” said Kelly, who has taken a national role in the gun-control debate after his wife was shot in the head. “We’re here to let Sens. McCain and Flake know -- to let them we know we stand with the 80% that are in favor of universal background checks.”

A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Wednesday put the support for universal background checks for gun buyers at 93%, with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled to debate tougher gun-control legislation Thursday.

A series of high-profile shootings in recent years, culminating with the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, has appeared to push public support more in favor of tougher gun regulations, and a deep roster of shooting survivors’ and victims’ family members have given extra resonance to the debate.

Among that group, Kelly and Giffords have emerged as top voices in the call for stricter regulation, forming a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, to give their efforts extra heft in Washington.

“Gabby inspires me each and every day,” Kelly said. “Often, as she heads off to therapy, the last thing she’ll say to me is--”

“Fight, fight, fight!” Giffords cut in. She spoke briefly at the end of the news conference: “Be bold. Be courageous. Please support background checks. Thank you very much!”

Local media captured photos from the scene (see below).

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matt.pearce@latimes.com