At a community meeting in Irvine focusing on gun violence and mental health, Diane Osborne spoke publicly for the first time about her family's horrifying ordeal.
"It's happening everywhere and it's happening more often," she said.
Osborn is talking about her brother-in-law, Mel Edwards. He was one of three people killed by a 20-year-old gunman who went on a shooting spree in Orange County on Feb. 19.
"As Americans we have a responsibility to our children, to our grandchildren, to end the cycle of violence," she said.
Osborn had high hopes for President Barack Obama's proposed gun control legislation. But she had only two words to describe Wednesday's vote in the Senate.
"Profoundly disappointed," she said.
Paul Wilson was also a panelist at the community forum. His wife, Christy, was killed in a mass shooting at a hair salon in Seal Beach in 2011 that left eight people dead.
"It's embarrassing the inability of our lawmakers not to make the right decision but to let politics control their decision making," he said.
But Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer has a different take on gun control legislation.
"I don't think that gun control is the answer to people's act of violence," Spitzer said.
Spitzer helped organize the community forum, which focused mainly on mental health as it relates to gun violence.
"I know that no matter what you do with guns in terms of outlawing them, people who want guns will always find guns, they will always find a way to commit violence," Spitzer said.
