--- description: Moms Demand Action leader Angela Ferrell-Zabala is working across political and geographic divides to protect children and families from gun violence. title: The Gun-Safety Advocate Bringing Communities Together Across America image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt67066bd816d79eac/6a1614b6ec2f8b466291d755/time-visionaires-2026-angela-ferrell-zabala.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00 --- Jun 16, 2026 # The Gun-Safety Advocate Bringing Communities Together Across America by [Nadia Suleman](/author/nadia-suleman/) ## Nadia Suleman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  Courtesy Everytown for Gun Safety Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the United States. Each year, more than 4,400 children and teens are shot and killed, and over 17,000 are shot and wounded—an [average of 60 per day](https://everytownresearch.org/report/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-teens/ "undefined"). For Angela Ferrell-Zabala, who in 2023 became the first-ever executive director of the grassroots gun safety movement Moms Demand Action, the issue is a public health crisis. “I could not stand the stories of young people and children being impacted when they have so much rich life ahead of them,” she says. [Moms Demand Action](https://momsdemandaction.org/ "undefined"), an arm of the national nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, organizes volunteers advocating for gun violence prevention. With chapters in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Ferrell-Zabala says the coalition, founded in 2013, applies an apolitical approach to reform because common-sense gun laws are a nonpartisan issue. “We have to understand each other, and \[both political parties\] are responsible for figuring out the solution,” she adds. “We can't run from differences.” Recent years have seen Moms Demand Action expand its legislative advocacy to address new and emerging threats, particularly the rise of ghost guns and other DIY firearms. In 2024, Polymer80, the largest manufacturer of ghost gun kits and parts, [shut down](https://www.everytown.org/press/polymer80-nations-largest-producer-of-ghost-guns-recovered-at-crime-scenes-has-shuttered-everytown-responds/ "undefined") after Everytown and Moms Demand Action led an effort to hold the company accountable in court. Last year, with the support of local chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, California signed first-of-its-kind legislation that [prohibits gun dealers from selling “DIY machine guns](https://www.everytown.org/press/historic-victory-for-gun-safety-governor-gavin-newsom-signs-first-in-the-nation-legislation-to-stop-the-spread-of-diy-machine-guns/ "undefined"),” or firearms that can be easily converted into fully automatic weapons. And in May, New York [passed a bill](https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/keeping-new-yorkers-safe-governor-hochul-signs-legislation-strengthen-public-safety-and-make "undefined") preventing 3-D printers from downloading software that aids in the production of ghost guns. “\[Gun violence\] is so pervasive because access—unfettered access—is the problem,” Ferrell-Zabala says. Issue-based organizing is familiar territory for Ferrell-Zabala, who, before joining Moms Demand Action, spent much of her career working for organizations focused on racial justice and reproductive health rights, including Planned Parenthood. “I remember often hearing growing up, from my mom, that we're not okay if others are not okay,” she says. “My mother got that fire in her belly and gave it to me.” Ferrell-Zabala’s past experience organizing for racial justice continues to shape her work. While gun violence affects people across racial, gender, and socioeconomic lines, Black and brown children are disproportionately impacted; a [Brady analysis](https://www.bradyunited.org/resources/research/disproportionate-impact-gun-violence-black-americans "undefined") found Black children to be 13.6 times more likely to die by firearm violence than non-Hispanic white children. To help address these disparities, Moms Demand Action chapters stay connected with organizations on the front lines, partnering with local violence intervention groups in the aftermath of a shooting. “There's this chain of events that has to happen,” she says, “to prevent the next shooting, \[prevent\] retaliatory shooting, \[and\] make sure there's healing and community.” A mother of four, Ferrell-Zabala advocates for reform not only on behalf of her own children but for everyone’s children. She underscores that while Moms Demand Action advocates for gun safety from all angles—culture, politics, legislation, policy, and research—simply having a conversation with your neighbors is a step in the right direction. “When you drop your kid off at a sleepover or playdate, all it takes is asking a question about whether or not the firearms are secured,” she says. “\[There are\] simple actions we can take to move this forward.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collection/visionaries/2026/angela-ferrell-zabala/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collection/visionaries/2026/angela-ferrell-zabala/"},"headline":"The Gun-Safety Advocate Bringing Communities Together Across America","datePublished":"2026-06-16T13:01:07.604Z","dateModified":"2026-06-16T13:01:07.774Z","description":"Moms Demand Action leader Angela Ferrell-Zabala is working across political and geographic divides to protect children and families from gun violence.","url":"https://time.com/collection/visionaries/2026/angela-ferrell-zabala/","keywords":["TIME Visionaries","franchise","list","sponsorshipblock"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt67066bd816d79eac/6a1614b6ec2f8b466291d755/time-visionaires-2026-angela-ferrell-zabala.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nadia Suleman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nadia-suleman/"}],"creator":"Nadia Suleman","articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt67066bd816d79eac/6a1614b6ec2f8b466291d755/time-visionaires-2026-angela-ferrell-zabala.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-visionaries/","name":"TIME Visionaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collection/visionaries/2026/angela-ferrell-zabala/","name":"The Gun-Safety Advocate Bringing Communities Together Across America"}}]}] ```