WASHINGTON (AP) — The father of Virginia shooting victim Alison Parker is urging lawmakers to defy the powerful gun lobby and pass legislation to strengthen background checks for gun purchasers.
Andy Parker told a Capitol Hill rally that “we can, we must, and we will” prevail over opponents of new background check legislation, such as the National Rifle Association. Parker’s daughter and WDBJ-TV cameraman Adam Ward were ambushed and fatally shot during a live television interview last month at a community outside Roanoke.
Parker was joined at the rally by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the state’s two senators. They urged Congress to revisit a failed 2013 vote on legislation requiring background checks for online gun sales and purchases at gun shows.
