NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today issued the following statement on gun violence:
"This endless cycle of deadly gun violence is tearing apart our families and destroying our neighborhoods. As our daughters, mothers, and aunts have all come under attack from the senseless violence plaguing our streets, we as a city must come together with compassion, hope and a clear message that it's time to put the guns down," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
"We shouldn’t have to live in constant fear of the deluge of firearms allowed to flood our city or of the deadly consequences these weapons of war bring with them. We cannot continue to fail our people, especially our youth. They are the future of our city, and their lives are being taken away from them before they can even embark on the journey to reach their full potential.
This gun violence is especially heartbreaking as we just celebrated Mother’s Day – a day to recognize that women are the backbone of not only our families, but our whole community. The violence women have experienced is an overdue cause for alarm that demands a swift, sweeping response from all levels of government. When the rights of gun owners are viewed as more important than our lives, it is clear that we are failing our primary responsibility to protect the public and keep our people safe.
These violent attacks on women cannot further stand. We must learn to respect and value one another’s lives if we want to create a safer and more welcoming New Orleans for everyone.”
