Tragically for Survivors Empowered founders Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, the shooting death of their daughter Jessi Redfield Ghawi on July 20, 2012, became the catalyst for the organization’s existence. 

Like so many other Americans, Sandy and Lonnie had no idea how easy it is for one person to acquire the guns and ammunition to shoot 70 people, 12 fatally, in just a matter of seconds. After their daughter, Jessi, was gunned down in the massacre, they established Survivors Empowered to help those impacted most by gun violence get the help they need in the immediate aftermath as well as down the road.

They filed a lawsuit to hold accountable the arms dealer who sold 4,000 rounds of ammunition to the shooter. Colorado’s gun industry immunity laws prevented their lawsuit from proceeding, and forced the judge to order them to pay $203,000 in legal fees to the arms dealer, bankrupting them.

Pushing the Rock Up And Over the Top of the Hill 

Like the mythical character Sisyphus who eternally had to push the rock up the hill, they have pushed…and pushed…and pushed to advance their support of gun violence survivors while advocating for such legislative measures as Jessi’s Law, passed by the Colorado legislature last year. It repeals the state’s gun industry immunity law. They currently are doing the same at a national level— securing 100+ Congressional sponsors of a bill to repeal the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).

Pushing the rock up the hill continues every day. Their ultimate aim is to get that rock over the top of the hill and end the ongoing struggle to stem the slaughter of innocents throughout our land.