The Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement in response to a shooting near the James G. Blaine School in Philadelphia yesterday evening where six children, including a two-year-old, and one woman were shot and wounded, and a 17-year-old was grazed by a bullet.
“While we are grateful that no one was killed in this shooting, we can’t treat bullets like bruises,” said MaryPat Scorzetti, a volunteer with the Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Our kids should not have to grow up in constant fear of gun violence. We need our lawmakers to recognize the urgency of this epidemic by passing life-saving gun safety laws and ensuring sustainable investments in our community violence intervention programs so we can keep our communities safe.”
While there is no one solution to end gun violence, Community Violence Intervention Programs play a key role in making cities safer. By utilizing a public health model, community-led programs have been shown to reduce gun violence in some of the most heavily impacted neighborhoods. While these programs are often uniquely situated to address violence in their communities, they need support from policymakers in order to sustain and expand their life-saving work. Leaders and legislators must invest in these community-driven, evidence-based interventions. More information about city gun violence is available here.
In an average year in Pennsylvania, 1,628 people die by guns, and 1,992 more are wounded by guns. Gun violence costs Pennsylvania $21.7 billion each year, of which $470.7 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Pennsylvania is available here.
