A group called the Coalition for Common Ground will hold a public forum on gun violence in Kalamazoo on Monday, July 24. It will feature Sandy Phillips, the founder of Jessi's Message. It's named for Phillips' daughter, who was killed during a mass shooting at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012.
Phillips says she and her husband created the foundation to help bring other organizations and victims of gun violence together.
"So we reach out to victims and survivors who are wanting to tell their story and make a change in their communities."
For decades, gun control has been a controversial issue in the U.S. But Phillips says gun control supporters won't stop.
"We're not going away, and I think that's the biggest message we send out when we meet with people, that we're staying at it."
Phillips says people need to work together to address the issue.
"So we talk about connecting the dots of gun violence in our country, and how we can make a difference if we join together and use that voice to make change happen."
The Coalition for Common Ground forum on gun violence starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 24, in the Board Room at the main branch of the Kalamazoo Public Library. The group is an affiliate of the Michigan Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.
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