“On January 8, 2010, our daughter Darien was shot several times in her own bed during a violent home invasion in Portland, Maine. Darien was shot in her left hand and her right leg ~ the bullet lodged in her hip. She was rushed to the hospital where she spent two days in intensive care and 18 more days in the hospital. We watched her suffer in great physical and emotional pain as she worked hard to recover, but tragically, our beautiful and vibrant daughter died of complications caused by her gunshot wounds on February 28, 2010 – her life cut short at 25. We love and miss her so, not a day goes by that we don’t feel her absence in the world and the empty space where she should be. 

Darien’s homicide remains unsolved. Police recovered the gun used to shoot her at the scene of another murder in Portland one month later. Further investigation led to a man who bought the gun retail but soon sold it privately at a gun show to someone he didn’t know, no questions asked, no background check, no records kept – something not required by law. 

We honor her memory by advocating for better gun laws and to close this dangerous loophole. So many families are torn apart by gun violence, including suicide, domestic violence, and unsecured guns. The victims, survivors and the families impacted by gun violence are often forgotten, so we continue to call attention to the impact of gun violence in all our communities. We don’t want others to endure the pain she did or the pain we have lived with since her death. 

Our hope is that our elected leaders will recognize the issue of gun violence for the public health epidemic that it is so we may move forward to implement better laws regarding guns to save lives and prevent injury. It’s too late for us, we can't have Darien back, but it's not too late to prevent more tragedies ~ lives matter more than politics. One victim of gun violence is too many.”

-Judi and Wayne Richardson, Maine