April 22, 2022
Dear Washingtonians,
Today has been a heartbreaking day for our community. Unfortunately, tonight, I looked into the eyes of parents who were terrified, and they were terrified thinking of what might happen to their children. This epidemic of gun violence in our country, the easy access to firearms — it has got to stop.
Children in our community sheltered in place for hours. Residents were escorted out of their homes by police. Parents frantically tried to understand what was happening. Four people, including one child, were hit by gunfire in one short but devastating act of violence — the second of four shootings in our city today.
All of this because a person who had no business having a gun got access to one and used it to terrorize a school community.
As I was meeting with families, we had two other shootings in other parts of our city.
This has got to stop. People should not be scared taking their children to school. People should not be scared sitting in their cars when they run errands. People should not be scared standing outside their homes and talking to neighbors.
I am grateful for many people tonight. I am grateful for the police officers, federal partners, and first responders who rushed to the scene and who rush to scenes every day. I am grateful for the people who provided tips as well as the investigators who worked quickly to identify the suspect. I am grateful for the residents and school communities who patiently sheltered in place throughout the evening and those who patiently waited to get access to their homes. I am especially grateful for the staff at Edmund Burke who took care of students in the school during this terrifying experience.
Today was a stressful and traumatic day for many people in our community. If you need someone to talk to, certified clinicians are available to help you 24/7 through the DC Department of Behavioral Health’s mental health hotline at 1-888-793-4357.
If you have information about any act of violence in our city, you can report it anonymously by calling (202) 727-9099 or by texting 50411.
We pray for the health and well-being of all of today’s victims. But the epidemic of gun violence in our country must be stopped. We cannot allow dangerous people – who become much more dangerous and deadly because they have easy access to guns – to terrorize our communities. We must believe that there is a better way than this, and we’ve got to work together, in DC and across the nation, to find it.
Sincerely,
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