SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The California chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement after footage of a 2022 police-involved shooting of Savannah Graziano, a 15-year-old, was released earlier today. The footage and audio showed how Savannah, who was reportedly abducted by her father after he shot and killed his wife, was fatally shot by law enforcement as she followed instructions from officers while exiting her father’s vehicle.
“Our hearts are broken for Savannah, her loved ones and the entire community,” said Veronica Perez, a local San Bernardino volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action in San Bernardino County. “For almost two years, our community has been asking questions about the response and crossfire between police and Savannah’s father – yet we still have questions unanswered. We urge law enforcement to continue cooperating and answering questions so that we can work together to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.”
In an average year, 3,253 people die and 7,293 are wounded by guns in California. California ranks 45th in both gun death rates and societal cost of gun violence at $1,060 per person each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost California $41.9 billion, of which $1.1 billion is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in California is available here.
