Press Release Date:
Thursday, May 26, 2022
There are no words to describe the grief and anger we feel at the news of the mass shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. It weighs heavy in our hearts.
The Vancouver City Council grieves with families and the cities of Uvalde, TX, Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, OH, Laguna Woods, CA, Chicago, IL, and the many others that have suffered from mass shootings in the U.S. Our hearts break for all these communities and their collective loss. We also offer our condolences to those in our community who have been impacted by these horrific events.
In recognition of the tragic loss of life that occurred, the City of Vancouver has lowered flags at all city facilities. It is our hope that we will not need to do this again.
In Washington state, the voters overwhelmingly supported and adopted Initiative 1639 in November of 2019, which made several changes to Washington’s firearms laws. Those changes included raising the minimum age to purchase a gun, adding background checks, increasing waiting periods, and enacting storage requirements.
The City will support the will of the people for meaningful actions that prevent gun violence and protect our children and our community.
When senseless acts of violence happen, you may find yourself needing a place to turn. If you need help, please reach out to the Southwest Washington Crisis Line 800-626-8137 | TTY 866-835-2755.
Original source can be found here.
