U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) released the following statement today following the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut:

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut this morning.  My thoughts and prayers are with not only the innocent victims and their families, but also the students and staff affected by this tragedy.  As we come together to support the people of Newtown, we must find time to reflect on how we can prevent senseless gun violence like this from reoccurring. The first step is to have a serious discussion on how to reduce gun violence in our communities.  This is above politics and ideology; this is simply a call for discourse on a subject that has been ignored for far too long."

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