For Immediate Release                                                                                                            Contact: Andy Pelosi (212) 679-2345 office

February 15, 2005

(Kingston, NY): Early this afternoon New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) held a press conference concerning Sunday afternoon’s shooting spree at the Hudson Valley Mall where a 24-year old man armed with an assault rifle injured two people before being subdued. Reports stated that the weapon used was a Hesse Model 47 (a copy cat version of the banned AK-47 assault weapon). In addition, the shooter was able to squeeze off approximately 60 rounds and may have reloaded one time.

Despite New York State’s ban on certain assault weapons (passed in 2000), many models of military-style assault rifles are legally sold at gun stores and gun shows around New York State. The gun industry continues to profit from sales of guns made only to kill as many people as quickly as possible by making minor cosmetic changes to banned assault guns to produce "copy cat" and "knock-off" versions. Currently, there is legislation in the NY State Assembly that would strengthen the state’s assault weapons ban (A.2466), which would include copy cat assault weapons like the Hesse Model 47. A similar bill is due to be re-introduced this week in the NY State Senate.

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said, "The reality in New York State is that the current ban on assault weapons is inadequate and Sunday’s shooting only serves to highlight the fact that an entire class of deadly weapons can still be obtained by civilians to wreak havoc. Military-style assault weapons are preferred by criminal gangs, drug dealers and individuals intent on mass murder. Last September, President Bush and Congress abdicated their responsibility to the people of this country by not passing a strong and effective federal assault weapons ban. Our representatives in Albany, along with the Governor, have the opportunity to pass a meaningful assault weapons ban that closes the loopholes in the current law."

Pelosi continued: "Let's face it, the good folks at Hudson Valley Mall were lucky Sunday that this man was not intent on the sort of death and destruction he could easily have exacted with his weapon. But, I regret to say that Sunday's incident could prove a precursor to future mayhem elsewhere. As long as we allow the private sale of assault weapons, the likelihood exists for truly lethal attacks by terrorists or disturbed individuals in public places around our country."

Bryan Miller, Executive Director of Ceasefire NJ, whose only brother, FBI Special Agent Mike Miller, was one of three law enforcement officers killed in a 1994 massacre at Washington, DC Police Headquarters by a lone gunman wielding an assault gun said: "I can tell you, there are some weapons that are just plain inappropriate for civil society, especially assault weapons. By allowing such mass killing machines to be sold on the civilian market we make it easy for disturbed people like Robert Bonelli or criminals like the man who killed my brother to get their hands on them and enact mayhem. And that mayhem means families and communities grieving, because we let the gun lobby have its way. Everyone was lucky this time, but that won’t always be the case, as it wasn’t for Mike. It is pure insanity to allow the sale of assault weapons."

Barbara Hohlt, board member of NYAGV said, "We have a moral obligation as citizens and parents to make sure that our communities, malls, schools and streets are safe from these weapons of war. We must make sure that assault weapons are not available in our communities."

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is New York State’s leading grassroots organization committed to reducing gun violence in our communities through advocacy and education. www.nyagv.org

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