A Shocking Weekend of Violence

 

Just days after President Biden announced reforms to rein in the deadly gun violence pandemic and the nation was stunned by the shooting in the New York City subway, Americans suffered another bloody weekend.   Between Friday and Sunday, our nation experienced at least 337 instances of gun violence across the country, resulting in 138 deaths and 322 injuries (excluding firearm suicides). In Philadelphia, 3 people died and 14 were injured in 11 separate incidents. “Violence and trauma of these incidents extend beyond those directly affected and permeate into the very fabric of our communities,” said Police Chief Danielle Outlaw. In Pittsburgh, 2 minors died and at least 8 were injured “at a party that drew 200 people, many of them underage, to an Airbnb rental. As many as 50 rounds were fired, the authorities said.” In South Carolina, 29 people were injured in 2 separate mass shootings. On Saturday, 10 people were shot at a mall, and on Sunday, at least nine people were shot at a nightclub in Hampton.   This weekend, the violence stretched coast to coast: We are 108 days into 2022 and our nation has already suffered at least 144 mass shootings, 5,501 instances of homicides, and an estimated 7,128 suicides.   The gun violence epidemic is a national crisis and it demands a higher level of national leadership. That’s why we applauded the Biden administration last week for taking important steps to address this epidemic. But given the continued Congressional deadlock, we expect him to do anything and everything in his power to save lives.   The President must establish a new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to coordinate a bold national response to this crisis and release a comprehensive plan to reduce all forms of gun violence. He must also work with his allies in the Senate to ensure that his second nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is confirmed and can get to work cracking down on illicit firearm trafficking and irresponsible gun manufacturers and dealers.   Let’s keep fighting for reforms that we know will save lives. DONATE

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