Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Thank you, Deputy Mayor Francois. Good afternoon, everyone. As this community heals from Saturday's shooting, I want to begin by first thanking those who are helping to lead that work, those who have brought us here together today: Operation HOOD, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island and our Crisis Management System partners. And I want to echo the words of Deputy Mayor Francois in expressing my deepest sympathies to the whole Operation HOOD team as you grieve Craig Alexander's loss. I also want to acknowledge that I stand here alongside a number of leaders in City government. We have our public advocate, Jumaane Williams, who stands here. We have [our] deputy borough president, Kim Council, here of the borough of Brooklyn; Council Member Kayla Santosuosso; Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny; and [as] we stand here, as the deputy mayor was saying, also with a focus on the Office of Community Safety, [we have] our commissioner, Dr. Ayesha Delany-Brumsey. And I want to thank Reverend Frank Mason, and in all of this, first and foremost, to bring it back to the families that we are here together today with. Tiffany, every single family member that is here, and every single family member that's still in a hospital across the city looking for any sign that they can continue to cherish their children, their loved ones.
We stand here knowing that when New York City often thinks of the Fourth of July, we imagine Coney Island — families walking together along the boardwalk, riding the Cyclone, eating a hot dog, ending the night with fireworks. That is what we should expect. That is what we should expect from this holiday, and from this special corner of our city; celebration, not a community picking up the pieces. I know that the thoughts of every New Yorker are with every one of this weekend's victims, especially the young woman in critical condition over the weekend who I'm so glad is now stable. And as I shared with many of the family members myself, we will find whoever is responsible for this heinous crime, and we will hold them fully accountable to the law. Because as you heard earlier, what we are not going to do is blame this family for celebrating. What we are not going to do is ask questions of why a family was at a barbecue. That is what every family should be doing on the Fourth of July. It is within the rights of every family in this city. And what we will do instead is not rationalize a barbecue being interrupted by gunfire and panic. There is no way to find meaning in eight of our neighbors being shot in addition, as the deputy mayor said, to a young man who was shot earlier this month. There was no reason to be made of four of those who were shot on Saturday being children — ages of 14 or 12, 7 or 6 — and as we hold these children, these young people and their families, in our hearts, I want to appreciate the New Yorkers who responded to this moment of horror with compassion and enduring commitment to service.
[Crosstalk.]
And the point to say very clearly: it is one family that we are speaking of. One family. One family whose lives have been shattered.
[Crosstalk.]
Before we move forward, I would like for us to first take a moment of silence as we keep this family at the forefront of our thoughts. If you would please just join me in that moment before we resume.
[Crowd takes a moment of silence.]
Thank you. I think it is important for us to understand the words of this family should be the ones that we carry forward with us. And I know I have said it, but I will say it again: There is nothing wrong with wanting to be at a barbecue. There is no answer to be given to those children who ask what they did to deserve this because they did not do anything to deserve it. This was not a failure of anyone. This is a responsibility of all of us. And I say that to you as the mayor of our city.
It is a responsibility that we will also hold at City Hall. Every family should be able to do what this family wanted to do, which is to celebrate on that weekend. And I think I speak for all of us here when we say that we are so sorry. Because we know there are no answers to give those children. And we also know that so often, these moments are described in statistics, in news reports that come and go. And yet what you have heard from these family members today is how lives have been changed and how there are children asking questions that they should never have to ask. And our work is now to ensure that we are here for this family and [that] the work that will continue.
And so, I will end by saying thank you to all who are here. Thank you to all of the partners. Thank you to all the organizations. Because we know the work is only just beginning. And now it is up to us to show what our commitment looks like to ensuring that this family and every family can know the meaning of safety and never have to choose between safety and celebration because one should be able to be found in the other. Thank you very much.
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