Handgun Violence: A Growing American Crisis

PITTSBURGH, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- From shopping malls and high school hallways to our neighborhood streets, handgun violence is affecting families across the country more than ever before. Duquesne University will examine the impact of handgun violence at The National Symposium on Handgun Violence, with former presidential press secretary Jim Brady among the featured speakers, on Wednesday, April 9, at 3 p.m. in the Power Center Ballroom on campus.

Brady, who was shot during an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is the namesake of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and has spent decades lobbying for stronger gun laws. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the "Brady Bill" into law, which requires a five-day waiting period and background check on all handgun purchases through licensed dealers.

    Other speakers at The National Symposium on Handgun Violence include:

    * Tom Mauser, whose son, Daniel, was killed during the 1999 Columbine High
      School shooting
    * Dr. Diane Strollo, clinical associate professor of radiology at UPMC,
      whose daughter was injured and survived the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting
    * Marisa Randazzo, former Secret Service agent and president and founder
      of Threat Assessment Resources International, LLC, which provides
      training, consultation and research services to assess threats and
      prevent violence
    * Det. Jill Smallwood-Rustin, Firearms Tracking Unit, Pittsburgh Bureau of
      Police, who is responsible for tracing the origin of all firearms
      recovered by the bureau
    * Alan Korwin, author of Gun Laws of America and a national speaker on the
      Second Amendment right to bear arms
    * David Hemenway, author of Private Guns, Public Health and director of
      the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and of the Harvard Youth
      Violence Prevention Center
    * Cynthia A. Baldwin, retired justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
      and partner at Duane Morris LLP, will serve as moderator for the
      symposium

In a special video appearance, former Lt. Governor of Maryland Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, will discuss the growing crisis of gun violence and address the assassinations of her father and uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

In another brief video segment, Representatives Dwight Evans (Philadelphia) and Dan Frankel (Pittsburgh) will speak from the Pennsylvania Capitol and address proposed legislation to deal with handgun violence.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will give concluding remarks and present Brady with a Distinguished Speaker Award for Lifetime Dedication to Public Service.

The National Symposium on Handgun Violence is free and open to the public. To register, call 412.396.5131 or visit http://www.duq.edu/handgun.

Duquesne University

Duquesne is a private, coeducational university with more than 10,000 students. An extensive selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs is offered across 10 schools of study. Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and 130-year tradition of academic excellence.