(New York City) New York remains a national leader in murder-suicides, reported New Yorkers Against Gun Violence today. According to the organization, today’s report of a double murder-suicide involving semi-automatic pistols in midtown Manhattan continues this disturbing trend, and highlights the need for improved policies to regulate access to firearms.

"Unfortunately, the easy availability of guns, coupled with their lethality, makes them the overwhelming weapon of choice in tragic incidents of murder-suicide like one we saw this morning in New York City," Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said.

According to a report released in April 2002 by the Violence Policy Center, entitled American Roulette: The Untold Story of Murder-Suicide in the United States, 86% of New York murder-suicides involved guns. There were 14 reported incidents of murder-suicide in New York State claiming 30 lives in the first half of 2001. Nationally at least 662 Americans died in murder-suicides during the first half of 2001, and almost all (94.5 percent) were killed with firearms.

A copy of the report can be obtained from the Violence Policy Center's website at www.vpc.org. A fax copy of the report or information on other murder-suicides in New York can be obtained by contacting New Yorkers Against Gun Violence at (212) 679-2345.

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 that leads to changes in public awareness and policy to protect New York State residents and particularly youth from gun violence.