D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser penned a letter last week addressing Virginia lawmakers, requesting that they pass tougher legislation about gun ownership, gun dealing and related issues, as part of the ongoing fight against shooting and murder rates in the District.
“Do something about guns coming out of Virginia that are killing D.C. residents,” Bowser said in the letter, referencing the city’s extreme homicide rates.
Kevin Donahue, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, recently stated that a majority of the guns that come into D.C. illegally are from Virginia.
Congratulations, @EFillerCorn and @DickSaslaw, on assuming leadership of the @VaHouse and the @VASenate. I look forward to working with you as you enact common-sense gun reforms so that together we can combat the illegal gun trade and reduce gun violence in our communities. pic.twitter.com/WF4EvTnlPk
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 10, 2020
In her letter, the mayor cited data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which collects information on firearms seized by law enforcement authorities. According to the agency, the rate of illegal firearms confiscated in D.C. that came from Virginia is 41 percent.
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