Statement on the Tragedies at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn and Apalachee High School in Georgia

On the first day of school for many New Yorkers, our students and their families should be excited. They should be celebrating the passing of another milestone and anticipating a great year ahead. Instead, as tragic gun violence strikes the West Indian Day Parade and Apalachee High School in Georgia, we’re left to mourn the loss of five young people.

We MUST take action. We MUST pass common sense controls on the manufacturing and sale of guns, strengthen red flag laws, and protect every New Yorker from guns in our schools and our communities. We MUST ensure that our children, who look to us to keep them safe, can go to school each day with peace of mind, and their parents rest assured that their children are secure. 

My thoughts and heart go out to the families and friends of those who’ve been victims of or fear the looming threats of gun violence, and especially to those personally affected by these tragedies.