Senator Street offered the following statement following yesterday’s mass shooting outside James G. Blaine School in North Philadelphia.

“Last night seven more people, including a 2-year-old girl and five teenagers, were shot right outside of James G. Blaine School. Our kids deserve an opportunity to live a life free from gun violence.  We are thankful no one was killed and pray for the families, and all impacted by the cycle of gun violence.  But prayer without works is dead and rings hollow. 

A mass shooting of children necessitates an immediate response. Today I walked with parents, community activists and school administrators, including Superintendent Watlington, as classes were dismissed, because it is critical that our kids see us show up for them.  We also need to show up in ways that create systemic change.

We need laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. The right to live a life free from violence is sacred and there are reforms that prioritize life without infringing on the second amendment.  Safe storage of firearms, the mandated reporting of lost and stolen weapons, red flag laws and the regulation of ghost guns are reforms that will have immediate impact. As a government we have a mandate to keep communities safe. We must take these commonsense steps that we know will save lives.”