May 23, 2024
Following a triple shooting this afternoon that injured three, including an 8-year-old student and a teacher, PFT President Jerry T. Jordan issued the following statement:
PHILADELPHIA-- "I am horrified by another act of senseless gun violence in our city, this time a triple shooting that left three individuals wounded--including an 8-year-old student at Elkin Elementary and a beloved teacher at Conwell Middle School.
"Our students, staff, and families need and deserve to feel safe--but today, a random shooting shortly after schools dismissed once again showed that so much more must be done to truly address the heartbreak wrought by the sinister crisis of gun violence.
"While I am grateful that all three individuals injured are reported in stable condition, I am so saddened by what they are enduring, and I am angry for them. For too long, elected officials in Harrisburg refuse to allow Philadelphia to pass its own meaningful gun reform.
"In the name of purported 'freedom,' extremist Harrisburg politicians are woefully negligent in protecting the safety and security of Pennsylvanians.
"We must collectively demand better for all of our neighbors and loved ones. I pray for a full recovery, both mentally and physically, for the young student, for the beloved teacher, and for the passerby who was also injured.
"These three individuals, and every individual impacted by the scourge of gun violence, deserve better. And it's past time that Harrisburg take action."
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