Mother of Orlando Terror Victim: ‘It Takes About 5 Minutes for a Church Bell to Ring 49 Times’
Voices Support for Clinton and Gun Control, Says Her Son Was ‘Big Hillary Supporter’
The mother of one of the 49 victims of the Orlando anti-gay hate crime mass shooting terror attack addressed delegates Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention. “It takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times,” Christine Leinonen told the audience in a heartfelt speech.Â
Mother of Orlando shooting victim at #DemConvention: “It takes about 5 minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times.” https://t.co/VFBc7qnung
— ABC News (@ABC) July 27, 2016
Leinonen lost her 32-year old son, Christopher “Drew” Leinonen, in the June massacre, along with his boyfriend, 22-year old Juan Ramon Guerrero. She was flanked by two survivors of the Orlando attack, Brandon Wolf and Jose Arraigada, who supported her onstage.
“Christopher was a big Hillary supporter,” Leinonen told the audience, sharing that she was a Michigan State trooper the day she went into labor. The hospital took her gun and put it in a safe, she explained. She didn’t argue because she supports common sense gun control, which “saves lives.”
“I’m glad common sense gun control was in place the day Christopher was born. But where was that common sense the day he died?,” she asked.
The mother of an #OrlandoShooting victim speaks to #DemsInPhilly https://t.co/TAG0SqRvbP https://t.co/A4n809GPCU
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 27, 2016
“It was in his DNA that love always trumps hate,” Leinonen said.
Mother of Orlando shooting victim addresses #DemConvention: “It was in his DNA that love always trumps hate.” https://t.co/1M6LYbTzd3
— ABC News (@ABC) July 27, 2016
Last week Clinton met privately with the families and friends of the Pulse victims, held a roundtable meeting with community leaders, and made an unannounced stop at the Pulse nightclub, to pay her respects.
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EARLIER:
Hillary Clinton Met Privately With Families, Friends of Pulse Terror Attack Victims
Hillary Clinton Makes Unannounced Visit to Pulse Nightclub to Pay Respects
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