Statement of Mayor Walsh on recent gun violence

We cannot become complacent to the death of any young person in our City; we need to stop these events from happening in the first place. 

Yesterday, I asked Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans, Chief William Gross, and Superintendent Bobby Merner to brief me on recent violent events in our City. Here is what we know: 

• This time last year, Boston had seen 15 shootings and 2 gun fatalities. Since January 1st of this year, we have seen 13 shootings and 8 gun fatalities. 
• The last four shootings are likely related, and are a combination of gang violence and retaliation. It is the understanding of the Boston Police Department that there were prior relationships between the victims and the suspects.
• There was also another nonfatal shooting yesterday in Jamaica Plain, and thanks to the efforts of Boston Police and the community, a suspect is now in custody.

In the coming days, I will be convening several groups to discuss actions we can take in several of the areas that I discussed with Commissioner Evans and his Command Staff. We will work with all levels of government, law enforcement, and the community to reduce the trauma in our neighborhoods, get guns off the street, and address the underlying causes of violence.  

While there is no single solution, improving public safety is among my highest priorities. This kind of violence cannot become commonplace; we should be shocked every time we hear of another shooting, of another death in our community.