Despite the recent shootings that left two Rochester-area firefighters dead, gun-related injuries and deaths are nothing new to this area. | Mass shootings in suburban malls and schools tend to grab national media attention, but gun violence, as most mayors of US cities can testify, is almost a daily occurrence. | Locally and nationally, the country may be reaching a tipping point in public opinion that could lead to stricter gun control legislation. | Some Rochester-area grandmothers have joined a national effort, Grandmothers Against Guns, to promote a petition seeking strict gun control, says Enid Ryen, a Rochester-area grandparent. | The petition, which will be forwarded to President Obama, Congressional representatives, and members of the US Senate, demands a ban on assault weapons, limits on the number of guns that can be purchased at one time, and universal background checks for buyers. | "This gun violence is not what we hoped to leave to our grandchildren," Ryen says. "The gun lobby has been less than useful." | The petition, which anyone can sign, can be found at http://signon.org/sign/grandmothers-against. And Representative Louise Slaughter has a link to the petition on her website: www.VoteLouise.com.