DA Krasner, Sen. Street speak out against gun violence after July 4th cookout shooting
PHILADLPHIA - District Attorney Larry Krasner and Senator Sharif Street as well as their constituents took to the podium Tuesday to decry gun violence following a shooting that claimed the lives of two men on July 4th.
The victims of the gun violence on July 4th were a beloved business owner Sincarr Johnson Jr., 22, and Salahaldin "Lala" Mahmoud, the nephew of Senator Sharif Street and an entrepreneur.
A number of people were shot over the weekend and the city's gun violence is outpacing the homicide rate of last year. So far, according to DA Krasner, Philadelphia is recording a rate of 30% over the rate of last year.
"The senseless, the tragedy of it all is overwhelming," Sen. Street spoke passionately of the death of his nephew.
He presented a several pages long list of all of the bills that have been submitted over gun violence and the prevention of it, but so far none of those have gone anywhere.
"We need to pass comprehensive gun legislation out of Washington," stated Sen. Street.
"We're going to find out who did this," Sen. Street said about the shooting that claimed his nephew's life.
DA Larry Krasner took to the podium to tell citizens, "There is a time for action and we are at that time."
He urged citizens to turn to his office in order to help stem the gun violence.
He said that no one was coming forward and "we cannot have that" in terms of the silence surrounding victimized.
Krasner was adamant about gun violence prevention being the goal.
"You want change, you better vote. The bottom line is we aren't getting any change out of this legislature until we have a Democratic majority," Krasner stated strongly.
A slew of DA Krasner and Sen. Street's constituents also took to the microphone to plea for help and the resources to stem the gun violence.
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