Brady PAC focused on electing gun safety candidates up and down the ballot in 2024, centering survivors
WASHINGTON – Today, Brady PAC, the political arm of Brady, endorsed for office Shaundelle Brooks and Rhonda Hart, two mothers who lost their children in the Nashville, Tennessee Waffle House shooting and the Santa Fe, Texas High School shooting, respectively.
Brooks, a candidate for Tennessee House District 60, lost her 23-year old son Akilah Dasilva, when four were murdered at a Waffle House on April 22, 2018. Akilah was a “kind” and “genuine musician ““with a big heart.”
“In the wake of losing my son Akilah to senseless gun violence, I found my calling not in the shadows of grief, but in the light of advocacy and change. My campaign is more than a political pursuit; it is a personal crusade fueled by a mother’s love and the urgent need for transformative justice in our communities,” said Shaundelle Brooks.
“The endorsement from Brady PAC amplifies our shared commitment to preventing gun violence and championing the rights and safety of every individual. With their support, and the backing of our community, we stand united in our mission to create a legacy of peace, to honor not just Akilah but all lives touched by violence. Together, we’re not just envisioning a safer future; we’re laying the groundwork for it, policy by policy, conversation by conversation.”
Hart is a candidate for the Fourteenth Congressional District of Texas. Her daughter Kimberly Vaughan was murdered along with nine others at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018. Kimberly loved learning sign language, cats, and reading, and was “a really awesome girl.”
“The endorsement of the Brady PAC holds immense significance to me. Not only did Brady assist in passing the Kimberly Vaughan Safe Storage of Firearms Act, but they have been at the forefront of gun violence prevention for decades. Thank you for your trust and confidence in this race. I am honored to receive this endorsement. I am truly grateful for the belief you have placed in me,” stated Rhonda Hart.
“These two mothers have turned tremendous pain into purpose, and they will be amazing elected officials,” said Parkland survivor Fred Guttenberg, father of Jaime Guttenberg. “We honor Akilah and Kimberly with votes for Shaundelle and Rhonda, who will take decisive action to end gun violence.”
Brady PAC, the political arm of Brady, was created in 2018 to counter the gun industry lobby’s dark money Super PACs. Brady PAC endorses gun violence prevention champions who support common-sense gun safety policies, including universal background checks, safe storage, and a ban on new assault weapons.
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Brady PAC is dedicated to a singular goal: creating a safer America by supporting and investing in candidates who are committed to enacting, improving, and defending Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) policies across the country. It upholds the policy ideals championed by its sister organization – one of the nation’s oldest GVP grassroots advocacy organizations.
