WASHINGTON — The mother and uncle of an Aurora movie-theater-shooting victim will attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address as guests of Democratic Reps. Ed Perlmutter and Diana DeGette.

Theresa and Dave Hoover, who lost 18-year-old AJ Boik in the July 20 massacre, were planning to be in D.C. anyway with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, when Perlmutter and DeGette extended their extra ticket each to attend the president’s annual address.

Since her son’s death, Theresa Hoover has tried to get an assault-weapons ban enacted. Proposed legislation has been introduced in the Senate and in the House by Perlmutter.

“It helps,” Hoover said. “It’s almost healing to try and make a difference and hopefully prevent this from ever happening again. I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t pass. There is no reason for those assault weapons to be out there. No reason.”

It was unclear whether President Barack Obama will introduce the Hoovers in his speech, but Perlmutter said he has submitted their names. “I know the president is very concerned about gun violence, and I think between the terrible event in Aurora, compounded many times over by the carnage at Newtown, he really wants there to be a change in direction,” Perlmutter said.

DeGette said in an e-mail, “I will be most proud of joining with my friend Rep. Ed Perlmutter to bring family members of victims of the Aurora shootings to hear firsthand from President Obama his commitment to keeping killing machines out of the hands of those intent on doing harm.”