Staten Island lawmakers call for change after string of gun violence
NEW YORK -- Officials are calling for change after a string of gun violence on Staten Island, including an alarming rise in youth gun incidents, with some happening in and near schools.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon sounded the alarm Monday on what he calls a plague of youth gun violence and online threats.
"Our kids are not all right. Our kids are not safe," McMahon said. "Last week, we lived every parent's worst nightmare on Staten Island. Four Staten Island teenagers - four - were involved in four separate incidents involving illegal guns in and around our borough schools."
Last Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy was taken into custody after he allegedly brought a gun into Curtis High School in the St. George neighborhood. The next day, a teenager was shot at a park near Curtis and McKee High Schools. The victim survived.
Lawmakers point fingers at Albany
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella joined McMahon and State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton to call for an end to the violence. They placed some of the blame on Albany -- namely bail reform and raise-the-age legislation, which has to do with the age at which juveniles can be charged as adults.
"When people feel they can get away with anything without accountability and consequence, what are they going to do? Those people will continue to do it," Fossella said.
Scarcella-Spanton said she's introducing legislation that would make changes to raise-the-age laws.
"This bill ensures that adolescent offenders can receive the necessary services while understanding the consequences of their actions and being held accountable," she said.
The officials also said there's a dangerous shortage of school safety officers. They called for the city to pay those officers more in order to fill the spots.