Senator Luis Sepulveda Calls on Legislature to Return to Albany to Address Epidemic of Teen Violence Across New York

BRONX, NY ( 06/25/18)  --  State Senator Luis Sepulveda today called on lawmakers to return to Albany to address the epidemic of youth violence plaguing New York.

 "Several adolescent mental health and youth violence prevention bills passed the Senate this month without action by the New York State Assembly," said the Senator.

"The vicious and horrific murder of Leasandro (Junior) Guzman-Feliz is an attack on the foundations of our civil society. The murder of this child is a primitive and heinous act that can not be allowed to go unpunished to the fullest extent of our laws," said Sepulveda. "I can not bear to watch the surveillance video of the end of this child's life. Thankfully, the animals that did this are under arrest." 

"Over the past two years, the New York State Senate has passed legislation to create a statewide task force to review the epidemic of youth violence in our State and to make concrete recommendations for lawmakers to fund and enact into law.  Yet even in the face of all this violence, this legislation has failed to move in the lower house. The same holds true for proposals to strengthen the mental health services we can provide to our youth who are being terrorized by all this violence," declared Senator Sepulveda.

"The beginning of the 2018 summer season has started full of deadly violence and death for our children," noted the Senator. "Albany can't leave all these communities across the state to stand alone against such violence and evil, and must take action to support them."