PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Mayor Sam Adams is joining a national movement to improve background checks for gun buyers.

The Fix Gun Checks truck pulled up to City Hall today as part of the group's national campaign. The advocates want new laws that will make it harder for criminals to get guns.

One side of the group’s truck shows that 34 people die in America every day because of gun violence. The other side keeps a running tally of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. since the Jan . 8 shooting in Tucson that killed six people and seriously injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Along with Adams and members of Cease Fire Oregon, today’s event featured people from Portland and across the county who’ve lost loved ones to gun violence.

Omar Samaha’s sister, Reema, was shot and killed at Virginia Tech in 2007. He says the gunman in that case passed two background checks before buying his guns only because the data base was not updated.

Samaha is dedicated to changing the laws, and he says his sister would be proud of him.

“She was always a very proactive person. She was always outspoken and she cared about everyone. I don’t want to see other families go through the same tragedy my family’s gone through,” he says.

Shortly after his sister’s death, Samaha says he partnered up with a national news outlet for an undercover story about guns.

He says he went to a gun show in Virginia and bought 10 guns in one hour without any background checks or questions asked.

Members of the group are also urging Americans to sign an online petition to improve background checks for gun buyers.