Summary

King County Councilmember Sarah Perry issued a statement Tuesday in response to the shooting at an Uvalde, Texas school that left 18 children and three adults dead.

Story

King County Councilmember Sarah Perry issued the following statement Tuesday in response to the shooting at an Uvalde, Texas school that left 18 children and three adults dead:

“Words are not enough to express the deep sadness I feel today. Sadness not only at the horrific murder of children and adults today – 21 of them at the latest count and three more seriously injured – but at the fact that this is but one of so many mass shootings that regularly take place in our nation. It was just 10 days ago that another shooter opened fire in Buffalo, New York and killed 10 Black people and injured three more. A day later, a man opened fire in a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California, killing one and injuring five others. And there have been so very many more.

“Today’s violence strikes a chord in me not only as a leader, but also as a parent. I send my deepest condolences to the families and friends and those who were forced to witness this terrible act today.

"We cannot allow this violence to continue in any community. It must stop. I am committed to focusing my work on behavioral health, which is a crisis in our country, and looking at what work we can do locally – and what pressure we can apply federally and at the state level – to strengthen gun safety laws. We must move with the urgency that this crisis requires, or our children will continue to die at the hands of those who intend to do harm to themselves and others.

“We are committed to do better in King County – we can and we will, together. I invite local leaders in King County, regionally and across the nation to join me in protecting our communities and take whatever action necessary to ensure this violence ends and it ends now.”