Families of the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting gathered on Friday to honor the six-month anniversary of the tragedy, according to Reuters.
The memorial was held at Newtown's Edmond Town Hall and was organized by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and other groups advocating for stricter gun control.
"Six months ago today, my sister Victoria Soto was brutally murdered as she taught her class," Carlee Soto, a younger sister of the 27-year-old teacher, said during the event. "The pain is excruciating and unbearable but thanks to all of you and with your support we will somehow get by."
Last December, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot his mother, Nancy Lanza at her home, and then went to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. and opened fire inside the school. He killed 20 children and six adults before he shot himself.
"While states like Connecticut and New York passed a series of new gun measures, the effort to tighten gun laws, backed by President Barack Obama, failed in Washington, and opponents say the proposals would unfairly limit the rights of responsible gun owners," Reuters reported.
The Soto family pushed lawmakers this week in Washington to revive a failed bill to expand background checks on gun purchasers. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy and others are vowing they will renew efforts to push for stricter gun laws, and an expansion of background checks.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group funded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced during the event that they will be launching a 100-day "No More Names" bus tour from Newtown that will feature rallies with proponents of stricter gun control.
The names of the 6,000 Americans who have been killed by gunfire since the shooting were reading during the event.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy also announced on Friday that the state would allocate $750,000 to begin the process of rebuilding the elementary school. The money will reportedly be approved at next week's meeting of the State Bond Commission.
