“I am deeply saddened by last night’s incident on East 157th St. and Walton Avenue, near Yankee Stadium, where a nine-year old boy fell victim to gun violence. I will keep him and his family in my prayers as we hope for his quick recovery. It is the second time in a week that this senseless act is committed in our borough and it is extremely disappointing. I know I speak for all Bronxites in condemning this despicable act.
“Ending gun violence has been a top priority of mine since I became an elected official, and despite our good work, too many firearms end up in the wrong hands both through legal and illegal means.
“This is a national problem that urges us to revisit the Second Amendment and the true meaning of what it was intended to protect so we can better prevent these crimes and protect innocent people across our city and nation.
“This violence must stop, my office will continue to work to take as many illegal guns off of our streets as we possibly can to keep our children and families safe. I urge all Bronxites with knowledge of illegal guns in their community to call 866-GUN-STOP to anonymously report those guns to the police, a program that my office continues to promote through our ‘Peace in our Streets’ campaign,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
More information on the 866-GUN-STOP program can be found at the following link:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/rewards.shtml