All of us are shocked and heartbroken here in Colorado in the aftermath of multiple acts of gun violence.

On Wednesday afternoon, two students were wounded in a shooting at Evergreen High School in JeffCo. The same day, in a despicable act of political violence, commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated while holding an event at a college campus in Utah.

I want to make this as clear as possible: Gun violence has no place in America. Political violence has no place in America. And it falls to every single one of us — including those of us in Congress — to take steps to end this epidemic of violence in our country.

My heart breaks for the students who are fighting for their lives in the hospital, and the parents who are at their bedside not knowing if they will ever come home. I’m devastated thinking about all of the kids and adults who will carry the trauma of these two events forever.

Please know that we are here to support you in every way we can. But we owe you more than support. We owe you more than condolences. We owe you a future where our kids are safe.

This was preventable. And it’s inconceivable that we are here again.

How much do we need to lose before we are willing to say enough? We all deserve so much better.

Brittany Pettersen