In the Wake of Monterey Park Mass Shooting, National Urban League Calls for an End to "Sickening Death Toll"

NEW YORK (January 23, 2023) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today issued the following statement in response to the latest mass shooting targeting Chinese Americans in Monterey Park, California:

“The National Urban League joins our brothers and sisters in the Asian-American community across the nation in mourning the victims of this shocking and horrific attack. Our hearts are with the families of those who lost their lives, and with those who have begun the long and difficult journey to physical and emotional healing.

“While we don’t yet know what particular form of hatred drove the gunman, it is certain that he was aided and abetted by our nation’s shamefully lax gun laws and cavalier approach to the epidemic of gun violence.

“As the first Asian-majority city in the United States, Monterey Park has been considered a sanctuary from the misguided racially motivated hostility that accompanied the spread of COVID-19.  That the attack occurred during a joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year only compounds the anguish and the trauma.  

“A nation where friends and neighbors cannot gather to celebrate without fear of deadly violence is a nation under siege. 

“Gun violence has claimed more than 2,600 American lives just over three weeks into the new year. It is the leading cause of death for children in the United States. The firearms industry and their defenders in Congress and state legislatures may consider this sickening death toll an acceptable price to pay to keep their profits high. We stand with the majority of Americans who deplore the violence and demand further action to end this epidemic.

“As a member of the Everytown coalition to prevent gun violence, the National Urban League will continue working to enact commonsense gun safety policies to prevent further tragedies like the Monterey Park mass shooting.”