New London — Among the 100 pairs of shoes lined up on the steps at Parade Plaza Saturday to illustrate the number of people who die from gunfire each day in the United States was a set of white Nike sneakers, size 11.5, that Joey Gingerella of Groton was wearing when he was fatally shot on December 11, 2016.

Tammy and Joe de la Cruz, Gingerella's parents, told their story at a Wear Orange block party organized by the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. More than 50 people of all ages attended, wearing orange shirts, writing the names of gunshot victims on orange ribbons, learning about firearms safety and in some cases, registering to vote.

Most of the pumps, boots, loafers and tennis shoes on display in downtown New London's community square were symbolic — donated by well-wishers after the organizers put out a call on social media. Gingerella's Nikes were the real thing, worn the night he was shot by a convicted felon who shouldn't have had a gun, and given back to his family only recently in a paper bag that also contained his wallet, keys and cell phone. The 24-year-old was trying to stop the shooter from beating his girlfriend when he was shot in the intestines, bladder, heart and lungs.

"NRA, stop emailing. Stop texting. Come meet us face to face," Tammy de la Cruz said at the podium. "Look in my eyes and tell me as a mother who lost a child that we need more guns on the street."

Joe de la Cruz is a state representative from Groton who was elected in the fall of 2016 but had not yet been sworn in when his son was killed. Other election officials at the Parade included U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and State Rep. Kate Rotella, D-North Stonington. Jeanne Milstein, human services director for the City of New London, attended on behalf of Mayor Michael Passero and presented a proclamation.

Though federal action on gun control appears to be stalled, Connecticut moms have much to be grateful for this week.

On Friday, which was National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 19-6, which bans "ghost guns," which are assembled from separately purchased parts and don't have serial numbers, and Public Act 19-7, which prohibits storing a pistol in an unattended motor vehicle unless that pistol is in the trunk, a locked glove box or a locked safe.

Lamont plans to sign a third bill, known as Ethan's Law, at a ceremony in Guilford next week. The law is named for Ethan Song, 15, of Guilford, who accidentially shot and killed himself in January 2018 with a .357 Magnum he got access to, along with ammunition, at a friend's house. The law requires gun owners to safely store untended firearms, whether loaded or unloaded, and establishes creation of a firearm safety program to be taught in public schools.

The southeastern Connecticut chapter of Mom's Demand Action formed in March 2018, following the Valentine's Day shooting at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 dead and 17 wounded.

"I had to take my anger and turn it into action," said Rachel Everley of Niantic, the chapter's leader.

Moms Demand Action, founded after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, has a chapter in every state and claims 6 million supporters nationwide. Orange is the color that Hadiya Pendleton's friends wore in her honor when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15 — just one week after performing in a marching band at President Barack Obama's second inaugural parade in 2013.

Christine Stahl of East Lyme and her daughter, Mikayla Stahl, stood together on the plaza, and Mikayla read for the assembly a poem written by Kaie Houde, a student at Rockland High School in Massachusetts.

"Run if you can. Hide if you can't. If neither, fight," begins the poem, which is called "Bulletproof Teen."

The organizers made the event fun for kids, who played cornhole, colored, had their faces painted by Ellen Hammen of East Lyme and heard about the gun issue in age-appropriate doses.

"Mommy says guns are bad," attorney Erica Rodriquez of New London said to her five-year-old daughter, Lyiana Griffin, whose smiling face was decorated with orange hearts outlined in black.

Educator/activist Karen Fischer of New London, who oversees the group's Be Smart program for safe gun storage, said she's been involved with the issue since shortly after the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999. She said there's a lot of hope out there as a result of the mobilization, but much remains to be done.

"One of the things people don't realize is that the majority of people who die each day and each year are people who use guns to take their own lives," Fischer said. "A part of what we're doing is suicide prevention, and we've got a new education program we're going to roll. We really hope that gun owners, and people who are at ranges and people who sell guns will take this to heart and really step up their game and take steps to prevent suicide."

Irene Weiss, president of the League of Women Voters of southeastern Connecticut, was standing with other volunteers at a voter registration table. The group goes to schools and other locations to register voters, and was happy to accept an invitation from Moms Demand Action.

"We are for sensible gun control," said Weiss. "We're devastated by the number of people who are hurt and killed by guns in this country. It doesn't happen in other countries at this level."  

Louise Fabrykiewicz, 89, of New London, said she was appalled to see a large display of real-looking toy guns and ammunition at several local stores. She's been afraid of guns since age 15, Fabrykiewiecz said, when a man got out of a pickup truck in her neighborhood, aimed a long gun at her and fired, for unknown reasonds. A bullet grazed her in the forehead.

Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, said the group supports firearms safety education, but not the punitive measures sought by the anti-gun crowd for people whose guns are stolen. Wilson is a gunshot victim himself, having been accidentially shot at age 14 in the shoulder and neck by his brother. The brother's friend had brought an unsecured gun to the home, Wilson said.

"As far as Ethan's Law goes, ultimately we did not oppose the bill," said Wilson by phone Saturday morning.

 k.florin@theday.com