Carolyn McCarthy ("née" Cook; born January 5, 1944) is an American nurse and politician. She is a Democrat. She served as a member of the U.S. House of Representative for from 1997 to 2015. She is known for her being an advocate for gun control. Her husband was killed and their son was injured in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting. She was played by actress Laurie Metcalf in the movie "The Long Island Incident" (1998), based on the events of the shooting.