FRANKLIN, WI – The Forward Latino Board of Directors recently passed a resolution demanding state and federal legislators condemn domestic terrorism and pass commonsense firearm reform. A recent study by the Violence Policy Center showed that nearly 54,000 Hispanics were killed in the United States by guns between 1999 and 2015, including 35,553 gun homicides and 15,593 gun suicides. Homicides is the second leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 15 to 24 with over 66% of those involving a firearm. As hate crimes continue to increase throughout the country, recent tragedies have only confirmed the fears in our nation’s Hispanic community. Investigators in Gilroy, California discovered that the domestic terrorist shared a white supremacist manifesto online. In El Paso, Texas, the shooter openly admitted to investigators that he was “targeting Mexicans.” Darryl Morin, President of Forward Latino stated “Over the last two years we have seen a steady increase in the number of hate crimes committed across the country. Recently we have seen what happens when followers of these violent ideologies gain access to firearms. We see Gilroy, we see El Paso and we see Dayton and Pittsburgh. We also remember the mass shootings and loss of life that occurred here in Wisconsin, in Brookfield, Middleton and Oak Creek. According to the 2018 Marquette Law School Poll, 81% of Wisconsin voters want commonsense firearm reform that closes the background check loophole. Recent national polls show support at over 90%. So today Forward Latino joins the fight and will be calling and advocating for our state and federal representatives to act and pass resolutions that condemn acts of domestic terrorism and to pass commonsense firearm reform. It is time that our state and federal legislatures, individuals we voted into office, put American lives before the wishes of special interest groups!”