In 2021, four people were killed in a mass shooting at an Orange office building. In 2022, one person was killed and five were injured at a Laguna Woods church. In 2023, a shooter killed three people and wounded six others at Cook’s Corner in Trabuco Canyon.
These three major gun violence incidents — all of which took place in Orange County in a span of just a few years — were a catalyst for Democratic state lawmakers and gun violence prevention advocates to convene for a packed town hall at a Laguna Woods clubhouse Thursday evening, Aug. 7.
“We are at a crossroads,” said former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, a venerated gun violence prevention advocate, who founded a nonprofit bearing her name after she was shot in the head while at a constituent event in Tucson in 2011.
Giffords encouraged the more than 450 guests gathered at the town hall to participate in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Voting, she said, is the most important way to defend against gun violence and protect children and others killed because of it.
“We can continue, or we can act,” Giffords said. “We can vote, and we can be on the right side of history.”
Many audience members, who are part of various local Democratic clubs, said they came to hear Giffords speak.
That included Indigo Brude, a resident of Laguna Woods, who said she came to the town hall because she wanted to do more for the community and learn more about Giffords.
“She’s about my age, and I grew up in Arizona,” Brude said. “Politics is something I always thought would be interesting to do, but I never was brave enough to actually do it.”
“I was really moved when she was shot,” said Olaina Anderson, a former high school teacher and member of gun violence advocacy group Moms Demand Action. “Being a high school teacher, it’s been a focus of my life for over a decade, so getting to see her speak is exciting.
The 40-minute conversation, led by California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, was largely critical of Republican lawmakers.
“The Republicans often talk about law and order,” said Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine, “but they go out of their way to gut policies that keep communities safe.”
The town hall was held in Rep. Young Kim‘s district, and the Anaheim Hills Republican was the topic of some criticism during the event. A spokesperson for Kim did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
With some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, California has banned assault weapons, implemented universal background checks and has a 10-day waiting period for gun sales.
In 2023, California had the 7th lowest gun death rate in the U.S. and is ranked the No. 1 state for gun safety by the Giffords organization.
After recovering and witnessing the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2013, Giffords co-founded the nonprofit Giffords alongside her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a veteran and former astronaut. The organization mobilizes voters, drafts laws on gun safety through its law center and funds candidates in support of gun violence prevention through its PAC.
Giffords is making her way around the country, leading town halls to speak with voters and keep gun violence a national issue and talking point.
In her recovery from the shooting, Giffords has also worked to overcome paralysis and aphasia, a condition that impacts her ability to speak.
“Words once came easily, but today I struggle to speak, but I’ve not lost my voice,” Giffords said. “America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words.”