“Our city is once again in mourning. A 16-year-old young man was recently shot and killed in our streets. Now, just days later, a 16-year-old young woman lost her life to gun violence. These are not just headlines. They are our children, our future, and the soul of our city. Enough is enough.

"Newark is hurting. Our young people are dying, and we cannot allow this pain to continue unchecked. We must come together as a city, as a people, and as a family to say that this ends now.

“We are launching an aggressive strategy to address this crisis on all fronts:

• Getting guns off our streets through enhanced enforcement, community-based interventions and partnerships with community and law enforcement.
• Getting our youth into jobs, programs, and mentorship that offer purpose, healing, and hope.
• Getting the hate out of our hearts by investing in conflict resolution, trauma recovery, and community healing initiatives.

"Gun violence is not just a crime issue. It's a public health crisis. It's a social justice crisis. And it's a moral crisis. We need every parent, every school, every block, and every faith leader to stand with us. We cannot arrest our way out of this; we must love our way forward, organize our way forward, and build a future where our children can live, thrive, and grow old.

“In the coming weeks, the Office of Violence Prevention will convene a Citywide Youth Safety and Healing Summit, bringing together community leaders, youth voices, credible messengers, mental health professionals, law enforcement, and employment partners to craft a unified and immediate response.

“While shootings and murders are down this year, representing historic lows, we cannot be satisfied with any shooting or homicides.  We must act now and not rest on our accomplishments.

“Newark is a model for public safety transformation, and we will not let this moment define us in tragedy. We will rise in unity, in action, and in love.”