HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Faith leaders from across Pennsylvania urged lawmakers to pass tougher gun laws.
The leaders are a part of the new With One Voice interfaith coalition, which seeks to unite people of faith to end gun violence. A few dozen pastors, rabbis and lay people gathered Wednesday in the State Capitol’s East Wing rotunda for a prayer vigil and press conference.
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“People should be free to come and worship wherever they want and not be threatened by gun violence,” said the Rev. Martha Harris, with Lancaster Saint Luke Episcopal Churches. “We need to be able to walk our streets and live in safe neighborhoods. So, it directly affects the quality of life in Pennsylvania.”
Advocates there said other states, including New York and Connecticut, have put tougher gun laws in place.
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Pennsylvania reported 1,807 gun deaths in 2023, the most recent year on record from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guns were the leading cause of death for young people ages 1-17 that year.
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