Rally for tighter gun control laws to take place in Beaverton Wednesday

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Demonstrators plan to rally in Beaverton on Wednesday night to advocate for stronger gun laws following mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas.

The organizer of the rally is asking for tighter universal background checks, an end to loopholes, a ban on assault weapons, and funding for gun violence research.

Tuesday night, Augustana Lutheran Church held a vigil for the victims of the shootings in Dayton and El Paso and 22-year-old Deante Strickland who was shot and killed in Northeast Portland on Friday.

The vigil brought out supporters of a proposed ballot measure to ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazine sales.

“Maybe this time it may be the tipping point. Maybe we’ll hit the point where people will be done,” said Linda Jaramillo of United Church of Christ.

The rally Wednesday to support gun safety is at the Beaverton Library on Southwest 5th Street and Southwest Hall Boulevard. It starts at 5 p.m. and is scheduled to last an hour.