U.S. Mayors, Including Baltimore's Jack Young, Urge Lawmakers To Take Action On Gun Violence
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- A group of mayors from around the country, including Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young, visited the nation's capital Tuesday, urging lawmakers to take action to prevent gun violence.
Mayors of cities impacted by gun violence, including the mayor of Dayton, Ohio, where a mass shooting earlier this summer left nine people dead and 17 others injured, as well as members of the Everytown For Gun Safety group rallied outside the capitol, hoping to move the needle on a contentious issue.
"As city leaders, we get the late-night calls about shootings, we console the parents who lose children to violence and we fear calls that one of our police officers has been involved in a shooting," Young said. "The toll of gun violence is our lived experience each and every day."
Baltimore's homicide numbers continue to climb; as of Friday, 237 lost their lives, many due to gun violence.
"While we work tirelessly to find solutions at the local level, we rely heavily on the leadership of our state and federal partners to take action where we cannot," Young said.
The house has passed a number of bills relating to gun violence, including requiring universal background checks and red flag laws, but that legislation has stalled in the senate.
Young urged lawmakers to take action.
