(NewsNation) — New York state has some of the toughest gun laws in the country.
Yet in New York City, and other parts of the state, gun violence has surged to what some have called a “crisis” level.
“We affirm and declare June as “gun violence awareness month,” mayor of Buffalo, New York, Bryon Brown said.
Mayors from across the state gathered together to propose and launch a four-year coordinated effort to help end gun violence through education and legislation.
Brown led the meeting, saying his city was still healing from the loss of 10 people shot and killed at a grocery store.
“We are committed to using this period to pause and reflect on what’s working and what’s not,” Brown said.
Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, said, “All across the country we are seeing mayors wrestle with how to address this over-proliferation of guns in our cities.”
Adams labeled the gun violence a “crisis.”
In April, a gunman opened fire with a Glock 9mm on a subway train in Brooklyn, shooting 10 people with another 13 victims injured in the chaos of the attack.
One of the victims has filed a lawsuit against Glock, the company of the gun used in the attack. The lawsuit accuses the manufacturer of reckless disregard for human life.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is backing 10 proposed bills that would strengthen the state’s gun control laws.
Among the proposals, a person would require a license and be at least 21 years old before they could purchase an assault rifle.
These bills would also prohibit the purchase of body armor for anyone who is not engaged in an eligible profession, and require information sharing between local, state and federal agencies when guns are used in crimes.
In the Midwest, Chicago police say this year they’ve confiscated close to five thousand illegal guns off the street. Chicago police Superintendent David Brooks claims that, “Homicides and shootings are down in Chicago.”
“It’s past time to get some significant, real gun reform in this country,” Brooks said.
Over the weekend in Texas, President Joe Biden promised mourners in Uvalde he would do something about gun control.
But the real power to change the nation’s gun laws rests with Congress. A group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers have started talks to find common ground and pass a bipartisan gun deal.