(Springfield, VA)-As the nation remembers the tragic shootings of President Ronald Reagan and Press Secretary Jim Brady twenty years ago today, Gun Owners of America warned that Americans must not forget about the tragedies resulting from well-intentioned, yet misguided, gun control laws.

“There is another anniversary that gun control advocates don’t want to talk about,” said Erich Pratt, GOA Director of Communications. “Ten years ago this month, a Brady-style waiting period resulted in the death of Bonnie Elmasri of Wisconsin.

“In March of 1991, Bonnie had inquired about getting a gun to protect herself from a husband who had repeatedly threatened to kill her. She was told there was a 48 hour waiting period to buy a handgun.

“But unfortunately, Bonnie was never able to pick up her gun. She and her two sons were killed the next day by an abusive husband of whom the police were well aware.

“Every day, almost 7,000 people use a gun in self-defense,” Pratt said. “Decent people, like Bonnie, should never have their rights put on hold when their lives are in danger.

“The Brady Law has simply failed to deliver its promises. A recent General Accounting Office study found that criminals can easily use fake IDs to evade the background checks required by Brady.

“And last year, one of the nation’s leading anti-gun medical publications, the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that the Brady Law has failed to reduce murder rates. JAMA reported that states implementing waiting periods and background checks did ‘not [experience] reductions in homicide rates or overall suicide rates.'”