Val Demings: “I want to thank Congressman Soto as he talked about the advocacy that we have seen in the place that we call home, the…”

“I want to thank Congressman Soto as he talked about the advocacy that we have seen in the place that we call home, the place that we love in Orlando. It is amazing how, out of the ashes, out of tragedy, good things can happen. We are so proud of Brandon and others like him who have turned their unbelievable, unbearable pain into action. Congressman Soto said one of the best ways to honor the victims is through action. When we looked at the devastation 2 years ago, we started a serious conversation about how to do that. Of course, this year is a painful time for us, for Orlando, for our Nation, for the world, for so many who grieved with us and continue to grieve with us. But as we think about action and what has happened since Pulse, I just have to mention a horrible tragedy that happened in Orlando yesterday, as we talk about gun violence and continue to work hard to turn our pain into advocacy and to legislation. Yesterday, the Orlando Police Department responded to a domestic violence call. The suspect was a convicted domestic abuser who had been arrested several other times for felonious actions and for violating his probation, but he also had a gun. When the officers arrived, he opened fire, hitting one officer, Officer Kevin Valencia, who had been with the department since 2016. This young officer is in his twenties, and he has a wife and two young children.…”