Vigil held in Foster City for recent mass shooting victims

FOSTER CITY, Calif. - A vigil was held to honor the 19 children and two teachers who were gunned down yesterday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Brady United Against Gun Violence organized the event and said they wanted people to have a chance to voice their frustration, and their concerns after yesterday’s school shooting. 

People in Foster City gathered at the Recreation Center to pay their respect to those shot and killed in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, N,Y. and Laguna Woods, Calif.

"Congress has failed us. Right now in the Senate, has been sitting for over a year, is a bill to expand background checks on all gun sales," said Shikha Hamilton, Vice President of Organizing for Brady United Against Gun Violence, Bay Area chapter. 

"I would like the senators in Washington D.C. to pass the H.R.8 Bill, to do something like that." said a Foster City teacher. 

On Wednesday Governor Newsom also spoke about his plan to push through legislation that would allow private citizens in Californians to sue gun makers.   

"We need to get dangerous guns, and weapons of war off the streets. That’s what we’re here to do. That’s what we’re focused on. We have too many guns, we have a gun culture. We’ve come to accept this, normalize this," Newsom said.  

Newsom also blasted Judges Roger Benitez and Ryan Nelson, calling them extremists after striking down California gun control laws, including a ban on selling semi-automatic weapons to anyone under age 21. 

"The idea that you can go into a store, without even a momentary delay, a pause and purchase these weapons of war, 30 round clips. That doesn’t happen in California, won’t happen in California."

California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. During the vigil, San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa also spoke about Congress taking action and doing better for the next generation.

"We as a society are failing when our children are being shot and killed in these schools," Canepa said. 

Hamilton says the group will continue lobbying for federal gun laws requiring background checks and Newsom said his goal is to have gun control legislation passed by the end of June.