Sen. Gillibrand Joins NYC Mayoral Hopeful Adams In Pushing Bipartisan Bill That Would Make Gun Trafficking A Federal Crime
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two New York lawmakers have joined forces to tackle gun trafficking.
On Monday, new legislation was announced in honor of a Brooklyn teen killed by gun violence, CBS2's Christina Fan reported.
Twelve years after 17-year-old Nyasia Pryear was killed by a stray bullet, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is once again introducing a bill in the teen's honor, trying to eliminate the scourge of illegal guns.
"The man who shot and killed Nyasia used a trafficked gun, a gun that should have never been on the streets of New York," Gillibrand said.
New York's junior senator joined Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to push for the bipartisan bill that would establish gun trafficking as a federal crime. The bill, which Gillibrand believes will finally have enough votes to pass, would also increases penalties for those directly involved in the illegal movement of guns across state lines.
"We know that almost 90% of guns used in crimes in New York are trafficked from out of state," Gillibrand said.
The re-introduction of the bill comes as shooting incidents have spiked 22% in New York City this year.
"In Brooklyn alone, 306 people have been shot year to date," Adams said.
READ MORE: Gov. Cuomo Announces New Partnership With Mayoral Hopeful Eric Adams To Combat NYC Gun Violence
Earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared gun violence a disaster emergency. On Monday, members of his administration held a community meeting in Brooklyn to discuss strategies.
"The governor announced that more than 4,000 jobs will be available for at-risk youth in emerging gun violence hot spots in New York City," said Ruth Hassell-Thompson, the state's special advisor for Policy and Community Affairs.
A part of the governor's plan also involves getting illegal guns off the streets by forming a new state police gun trafficking interdiction unit.
In 2013, the legislation fell two votes short of avoiding a filibuster. Gillibrand plans to reintroduce the bill to Congress later this week.
CBS2's Christina Fan contributed to this report.
