Council President Brandon M. Scott issues statement on violent day in Baltimore

Council President Brandon M. Scott issues statement
on violent day in Baltimore

Council President stresses need for "immediate action" while simultaneously
"building a comprehensive public safety strategy that works for Baltimore"

BALTIMORE, MD (December 17, 2019) — Council President Brandon Scott issued the following statement Tuesday evening in response to a violent day in Baltimore, with reports of ten people shot and two people killed:

I am extremely saddened by tonight's news that, through this evening, a total of ten people were shot in Baltimore City today. Two people lost their lives. 

One of them was Sean Davis, who went by Layedback Jack and was very respected in the community. The fact that his death comes just after he hosted a toy drive for children who lost a parent to gun violence is even more tragic. These latest cowardly acts come as our city was already experiencing a 9% increase in homicides and a 15% increase in non-fatal shootings over last year.

Tonight's shootings remind us that the horrific violence devastating our communities can affect us all. Each loss of life is traumatic. One shooting is too many. We have to come together as a city.

I am calling on Mayor Young, in collaboration with Commissioner Harrison, to consider what changes we can put in place immediately to more directly address the gun violence we are experiencing now. 

We must take immediate action to save lives while simultaneously focusing on the tough work of building a comprehensive public safety strategy that works for Baltimore. We must do both and do both now.

 

— Council President Scott