Velazquez on Shooting in LES

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement regarding Raphael Ward, a 16-year-old boy who was fatally shot in the Lower East Side on Friday.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Raphael Ward. Gun violence remains a tragic epidemic nationally and, right here, in New York City and the LES. We must pursue strategies at all levels of government – federal, state and local – that get these weapons off the street and make our communities safer. We cannot continue to allow our children to die in our communities. For too long, important legislation has been forced to the back burner. Now is the time to pass common sense gun control to help protect families and communities."