At DNC, Gabrielle Giffords joins survivors of gun violence and families of those killed in shootings

Survivors and family members of victims of gun violence attested at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday to the ways shootings impacted their lives and spurred them to advocacy.

One of the most potent speeches came from Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district.

Giffords, who was shot in the head while out greeting constituents, spoke Thursday about her long road to recovery.

“I learned to walk again, one step at a time. I learned to talk again, one word at a time,” said Giffords, who appeared with her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

“I almost died, but I fought for life and I survived,” Giffords said, thrusting her arm into the air and drawing cheers from the crowd.

She praised Vice President Kamala Harris and endorsed her.

“Kamala can beat the gun lobby and can beat gun trafficking,” said Giffords, who opened the Giffords Law Center to track and analyze firearm legislation in all 50 states.

Harris, a former prosecutor, has advocated for more laws to stop gun violence, including reinstating a ban on assault weapons. President Joe Biden in 2023 tapped Harris to lead the first-ever federal office of gun violence prevention.

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