Mayor Michael Bloomberg has recruited support for gun control from a victim who experienced a horrific shooting firsthand.
Stephen Barton was in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater for the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” on July 20 when suspect James Holmes allegedly opened fire on the crowd, killing 12 people and injuring 60 others.
Barton, who was shot in the face and neck, now appears in a national ad urging politicians to make gun control a major priority. The ad is part of the “Demand a Plan” campaign by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group co-founded by Bloomberg.
Sitting in an empty movie theater, Barton explains in the ad that he was one of the people lucky enough to survive the terrifying experience.
“In the next four years, 48,000 Americans won’t be so lucky, because they’ll be murdered with guns in the next president’s term. Enough to fill over 200 theaters,” he says.
The ad does not endorse Obama, nor Romney, but instead pressures both candidates to bring up the topic in Wednesday night’s presidential debate, which will happen just miles from the Aurora movie theater at the University of Denver.
“So when you watch the presidential debates, ask yourself: Who has a plan to stop gun violence? Let’s demand a plan,” Barton says.
