KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City pastors take a stand against gun violence.

Emanuel Cleaver III, Senior Pastor of St. James Church in Kansas City, led the way during an event Thursday morning.

Other community leaders joined him to call for background checks and other gun control options.

The news conference began at 11:32 a.m. That is the exact time the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas began. A total of 21 teachers and students were killed in the school shooting.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun violence, there have been more than 3500 mass shootings in the United States since the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012.

“Since Sandy Hook 10 years ago we have no new laws that help to prevent gun violence,” Cleaver said. “What we’re here today asking and pleading with our elected officials is bipartisan support for Democrats, Republicans, to work together. Enough is enough.”

Cleaver said it’s not just children who are impacted by gun violence. It’s also adults. It’s an issue that impacts all of us in one way or another.

“This is the time for the United States to come together if we truly are going to live as states united, a people united, And yes, there are mental health concerns that have to be addressed and passing safety gun laws is just a start, but we have to start somewhere,” Cleaver said.

“We can be better than this. It does not have to be this way. No nation of honor sacrifices its own children like this,” Rev. Tom Are, Jr., Pastor at Village Presbyterian Church, said.

They ask for Kansas Citians to contact their members of Congress to push for support of bipartisan gun reform.