Washington, D.C., April 17, 2023 – On Thursday, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot twice in Kansas City, Mo. after knocking on the door of the wrong residence while seeking to pick up his younger siblings. On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at a birthday party in Dadeville, Ala., and Black youths were at least three of the four killed.
Kris Brown, president of Brady, said:
“Black Americans are twice as likely as white Americans to die by firearm. Gun violence is the number one killer of all American children and Black children in particular represent a disproportionate share of youth gunshot victims.
"The Second Amendment does not protect the right to shoot a child for ringing a doorbell, nor was it designed to turn a birthday party into a war zone. Black children have the right not to be shot.
“It is important, as Alabama families prepare to bury their children and Ralph Yarl’s family hopes for his recovery, that this country not look away from how lax gun laws, Second Amendment extremism, and systemic racism hurt Black youths."
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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