As some New Yorkers celebrated the extended Labor Day weekend, others in the Bronx mourned the frequent incidents of gun violence. Over the weekend, three young children, all under the age of 15, were critically injured in a shooting that took place at a backyard party. In all, eight people were reportedly shot.
In the wake of the event, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said, “We cannot allow the summer to close in a hail of bullets. I know I speak for all Bronxites in condemning the despicable, cowardly violence that descended on our borough not only this weekend, but throughout the summer. This violence must stop.”
Diaz is encouraging the community to stand up against violence by reporting illegal guns. “The response of the Bronx must be to act, and my office will continue to work to take as many illegal guns off of our streets as we possibly can. I urge all Bronxites with knowledge of illegal guns in their community to call (866) GUN-STOP to anonymously report those guns to the police, an action I encourage through my office’s ‘Peace in our Streets’ campaign,” he said in a statement.