Mother Of Pulse Nightclub Shooting Victim Addresses Democratic Convention

"I’m glad common-sense gun policy was in place when Christopher was born," asked Christine Leinonen. "But where was that common sense the day he died?"
From: NewNowNext

 On June 12, Christine Leinonen woke up to a nightmare every mother dreads: Her son, Christopher, had been ruthlessly killed at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub—one of 49 innocent people gunned down by a madman.

Leinonen was one of the first parents interviewed, and her anguish will forever be etched in our memories.

 Last night she addressed the Democratic National Convention, still devastated but determined to do something about gun violence in this country.

“The weapon that murdered my son fires 30 rounds in one minute,” she told delegates, flanked by Jose Arriagada and Brandon Wolf, both friends of her son who survived the attack.

“An Orlando city commissioner pointed out the terrible math. One minute per gun to fire so many shots.”

Leinonen called for common-sense gun policies, revealing she was a Michigan state trooper when Christopher was born. 

“When I went into labor, the hospital put my gun in an off duty safe. I didn’t argue. I know common sense gun policies save lives.”

She also revealed that Christopher, who perished alongside his boyfriend, was a big Hillary Clinton supporter.

Read her full remarks below.

It takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times. I know this because last month, my son Christopher, his boyfriend Juan and 47 others were murdered at a club in Orlando. Christopher was my only child. As I used to tell him, you can’t do better than perfect.

He had so many friends, two of whom are here tonight representing hundreds and hundreds more. All his life, he brought people together. In high school, he won the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award for starting the gay straight alliance.

Christopher’s paternal grandparents met and fell in love in a Japanese internment camp. So it was in his DNA that love always trumps hate.

Christopher was a big Hillary supporter. That’s why I’m here, so I can tell you about the day he was born. At the time, I was a Michigan state trooper. When I went into labor, the hospital put my gun in an off duty safe. I didn’t argue. I know common sense gun policies save lives.

The weapon that murdered my son fires 30 rounds in one minute. An Orlando city commissioner pointed out the terrible math. One minute per gun to fire so many shots, five minutes per bell to honor so many lives. I’m glad common-sense gun policy was in place when Christopher was born, but where was that common sense the day he died?

I never want you to ask that question about your child. That’s why I support Hillary Clinton.