PRESS RELEASE                                                                                 Contact: Andy Pelosi  212-674-3710

(New York, NY) On the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) reacts with sadness at the report of a shooting in a school in New York City. Early this afternoon, two young boys were severely injured inside Martin Luther King, Jr. High School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

While complete details concerning the origin of the gun have not been disclosed, we do know that young people continue to find ways to easily obtain guns and ammunition. Once again, the questions to be asked are - where did the gun come from and who supplied it to the young person? Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence stated, "According to a November 2000 report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, nearly 80 percent of crime guns traced in New York City come from out of state – from states with lax gun laws. New York City and other major cities sit at the mercy of the flood of illegal weapons nationwide, while too many guns easily end up in the hands of our youth. Congress’ inability to close the gun show loophole and pass other sensible gun measures allows these types of tragedies to continue to plague us".

In 2000, New York State signed into law sweeping gun violence prevention measures that included closing the gun show loophole and creating a gun trafficking interdiction program. While budget deficits on the state level loom, full funding of the gun trafficking interdiction program should be one priority that will help save lives while reducing the flow of illegal weapons into New York City.

The young people of our city and state deserve better leadership on the part of our elected officials. We need to pass strong laws that make it difficult for guns to fall into the hands of young people.

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NYAGV
332 Bleecker St., Box #E-9
New York, NY 10014
Email: nyagv@nyagv.org
Phone 212-674-3710
fax 212-674-3531