Houston, TX – In this year alone, we have had over 250 mass shootings. They have been perpetrated in nightclubs, supermarkets, houses of worship, to name a few places. It is an epidemic in our nation. At the beginning of this month, a gunman fueled by white extremist rhetoric opened fire in an El Paso Wal-Mart store killing 22. Hours later, another gun man opened fire in an area known for nightlife in Dayton, Ohio. In a span of less than a half-minute, this man managed to fire 41 shots. In just 30 seconds, he took the lives of 9 people, and managed to shoot and injure 14 others. Dozens of others were injured trying to escape the pandemonium that ensued when he opened fire. In remarks made after the shooting, the Dayton police chief, Richard Biehl, indicated: "It is fundamentally problematic…[t]o have that level of weaponry in a civilian environment, unregulated, is problematic." And also this month, a gunman initiated a standoff with the Philadelphia Police Department, which resulted in the suspect shooting six members of the Philadelphia police force before the situation was diffused. After that situation was diffused, the Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney, observed: “[o]ur officers deserve to be protected and they don’t deserve to be shot at by a guy for hours with an unlimited supply of weapons and an unlimited supply of bullets. It’s disgusting and we have to do something about it.” To help combat this uniquely American scourge, on September 3, I will host a gun violence prevention summit and roundtable to address this epidemic of gun violence. Also at that time, I will introduce additional legislation designed to stem the rising tide of gun violence and the deadly and implacably stubborn incidences of mass shootings in America.