My mom opened the door, and a man she didn’t know opened fire
Igrew up in a home filled with music. My mom, Ruthanne Lodato, loved music, and she loved to share her passion with her students, family, and friends. Our annual Christmas Eve caroling party, where she presided over a boisterous, joyous sing-a-long with every generation of our family, was our favorite night of the year.
But more than 8 years ago, the music stopped. On a cold, sunny February morning, my mom answered the front door of our home and a man that she did not know opened fire, shooting her multiple times.
My mom was rushed to the hospital, but the damage was too great and she died that afternoon. The man who killed my mom was a convicted felon who legally never should have had access to a weapon.
Unfortunately, many in our country know the pain of having a loved one stolen by gun violence. This public health crisis is a uniquely American problem. The gun death rate in the U.S. is 13 times that of our peer countries. And for 26 years, survivors haven’t seen meaningful action from our federal lawmakers.
Thankfully, we might not live that way soon. As a Pittsburgh resident, I’m grateful and proud that Senator Pat Toomey is part of the bipartisan group of senators who finally reached agreement on a way to take action on gun violence. Their bill enhances background checks for purchasers under 21, provides federal funding to implement and incentivizes state “red flag” laws, and address the dating partner loophole, among other measures. Most importantly, it will save lives.
But this is just the first step for survivors. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act must be must be turned into legislation, passed by Congress, and signed into law immediately.
The heartbreak of knowing my family isn’t alone in our grief and anger at the loss of my mom spurred me to join Moms Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network. On an average day, more than 110 people in the U.S. are shot and killed and hundreds more are shot and wounded.
Too many families know the trauma I still experience every single day. A trauma that doesn’t go away or heal with time. It only has become bearable.
There are countless stories behind every gun violence statistic — parents who never got to kiss their kids goodbye, gunshot victims living with physical and emotional wounds that will never heal, entire families ripped apart by gun suicide, and survivors whose cases remain unsolved.
That day in the doorway of our home, the shooter took much more from us than we ever imagined in those first horrible hours and days after her death. He took a spouse from a loving husband who looked forward to growing old together. He took a music teacher from her young students. He took a future grandmother from the grandchildren who will never get to meet her. And he took those Christmas Eves filled with music and laughter.
After my mom was killed, we never had that party again. People were afraid to come to our home. Nearly a decade later, our home is not filled with music like it once was.
In 2019, I sat down with Sen. Toomey and shared stories and photos of my mom. He listened carefully and was compassionate and kind. I could tell he really wanted to do something. Now, he has, and we just need to get it across the finish line.
Gun violence issue isn’t a red or blue problem — it’s life or death. We have the power to change our country’s culture of gun violence and we can start with this framework. Please join me in thanking Sen. Toomey and urging him to make turning this bill into law his main priority.