NEW YORK -
Families and friends of victims of gun violence stood silently at the start of the hearing.
People on both sides of the gun debate were invited to tell their
stories to a Senate panel. Lawmakers are considering different ways to
curb gun violence.
The parents of a Chicago girl killed last
month also attended the hearing. Hadiya Pendleton was shot in a park on
Chicago's south side.
At a news conference, families held up
pictures of their loved ones and got their message out ahead of the
president's State of the Union address.
The Pendletons are
guests of the first lady at the address. Narly two dozen lawmakers gave
their ticket to the president's speech to someone affected by a gun
tragedy.
