Philadelphia Bar Association Issues Statement on Mass Shooting in Buffalo
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Wesley R. Payne IV issued the following statement in reaction to the mass shooting on May 14 at a Buffalo, N.Y. grocery store:
“Our hearts and our prayers are with the 10 people who were murdered and the three who were injured at a Buffalo, N.Y. grocery store on Saturday, and we grieve along with their families, friends, and communities. We all deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods and to not feel concerned that we could be killed while going about the simple act of buying groceries – or while practicing our religion, like the targets of another weekend mass shooting, at a church in California.
“Reports indicate that the Buffalo shooting was racially motivated, making it just another example of the dangerous rise in white nationalism ideology in our country. The killer must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But that is not the end of seeking justice for his victims, or for countless others who have been the victims of actions motivated by racism and discrimination. As a start, we all – particularly those in positions of power – must publicly reject racism and other forms of intolerance and bias, and take an active role in eradicating it from our society.”
