Mayor, city and community leaders address recent violence in Columbus

Courtesy of ABC 6/FOX 28
July 13, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and other community leaders spoke Monday about the recent violence in the city.
Monday’s briefing was held after a violent weekend in Columbus during which three people were killed and seven others were injured.

Ginther started the briefing by saying families and the city are hurting. He said he was speaking Monday not as the mayor, but “as a dad.”Ginther said illegal guns are “public enemy number one.”
He called on lawmakers and the Fraternal Order of Police to help enact common-sense laws.”If they won’t take action, at least get out of our way,” Ginther said.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther calls for common-sense gun laws following a recent spike of gun violence in the city.

Ginther also said the recent spike in gun violence is a problem that “belongs to all of us.”During the briefing, Ginther was joined by Police Chief Thomas Quinlan, Columbus Urban League President Stephanie Hightower, Public Safety Director Ned Pettus, Chris Suel with the My Brother’s Keeper program, and City of Grace Pastor Michael Young.

“As a community, we should be more outraged,” Quinlan said.

Hightower said COVID-19’s impact on communities, economic disparities, and systemic can be partially blamed on the recent spike in violence.”None of us should be shocked,” Hightower said.

Hightower said the lack of economic opportunities, social programs and summer programs was a “perfect storm.”

Ginther and Quinlan said there is no evidence the recent wave of gun violence is connected to recent Black Lives Matter protests. Quinlan said the problem lies more with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Young said Columbus needs to be a community that is defined by kindness and not killing.”What is is going to take or us to value the sanctity of life,” Young said. “Life is valuable and life is precious.”While speaking at Monday’s briefing, Suel said everyone bears the responsibility of solving the problem of gun violence in the community.