Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Wesley R. Payne IV issued the following statement about the May 24 elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas:
“The details of yesterday’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas are nothing short of horrific. We are devastated for the families of the 19 children and two adults who were killed, for the many others who were injured, and for the entire community, which will be forever changed by this event.
“I am equally devastated that this is the second time in just over a week that the Association has had to issue a statement about a mass shooting. It is clear that there needs to be action at the federal, state, local and neighborhood levels to prevent this type of violence from occurring. Chief among them is implementing stricter gun control policies in this country, including a federal ban on assault-style weapons and armaments.
“When our Association issued a resolution 18 years ago supporting the extension of the 1994-2004 assault weapons ban, it was supported by both the Democratic and Republican candidates running for President at the time. We must strive to find that level of common ground again to achieve some semblance of justice for these innocent victims, and to allow our children to attend school without fearing for their lives.”
