Reps. Goldman, Nadler Introduce House Resolution Condemning 345 Park Avenue Mass Shooting and Demanding Congress Pass Comprehensive Federal Gun Safety Legislation

 

  

NEW YORK, NY — Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Jerry Nadler (NY-12) introduced a resolution condemning the July 28th Midtown Manhattan mass shooting that took the lives of four individuals and the shooter. The resolution commemorates the individuals killed and reiterates the dire need for Congress to ban assault weapons, enact universal background checks, and implement red flag laws. The gunman exploited weak gun laws in Nevada to purchase a military-style semi-automatic weapon before transporting it to New York City, where such weapons are illegal to buy or possess. 

 

“On July 28, a gunman illegally used a military-grade semi-automatic rifle to kill four innocent New Yorkers in one of the deadliest shootings in our city’s history,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “While the gun was illegal to possess in New York, it was legal in Nevada where the gunman, who suffered from mental health problems, obtained it. Without uniform federal legislation, our nation’s dangerous patchwork of state gun safety laws means that Americans are only as safe as the weakest state law, not the strongest. This senseless and tragic mass shooting is an urgent call to action for Republicans in Congress, who must come to the table to enact broadly popular gun safety legislation to protect our communities, including an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, raising the purchase age to 21, and nationwide red flag laws that would have prevented this devastating shooting and so many others.” 

 

Congressman Jerry Nadler said, “New York City lost four precious lives when a gunman opened fire at 345 Park Ave in Midtown Manhattan last month, right in my district. I represent Midtown the heart of corporate America, from the National Football League to the Blackstone Group, and its thousands of hard-working New Yorkers, who should be able to go to work without fear. With this resolution we honor innocent lives taken too soon, including a brave police officer, and acknowledge our duty to address the epidemic of gun violence. I implore my colleagues to carry out our responsibility and do everything we can to put an end to these preventable tragedies by supporting federal legislation that requires universal background checks, bans weapons of war, and prohibits gun ownership for those who are an extreme risk.” 

 

In late July, a gunman with a documented history of mental illness opened fire inside a Midtown Manhattan office building and murdered four individuals, including an NYPD officer, before taking his own life. The killer had driven from Nevada to New York with a military-grade, M4-style semiautomatic Palmetto State Armory PA-15 rifle, which is illegal to possess under New York’s assault weapons ban, but was legally purchased in Nevada, a state with significantly weaker gun regulations. 

 

An estimated 78% of firearms used in crimes in New York City originate from out of state, exposing a dangerous loophole in our national gun laws. The fragmented patchwork of state-level gun safety laws allows firearms to flow easily from states with weaker laws into those with stronger protections, such as New York.  

 

The vast majority of public opinion data shows that Americans strongly support commonsense gun safety measures and favor reducing gun violence nationwide. Polling done by Fox News in 2023 indicated that 81% of Americans support requiring mental health checks for all gun purchasers, while 61% support banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons. 

 

As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Congressman Goldman has been a leading advocate in the fight against gun violence.    

  

In April, Congressman Goldman reintroduced the 'Prioritizing Resources for Outreach, Safety, Violence Prevention, Youth Empowerment and Resilience (PROSPER) Act,’  which would invest federal funding in community-based organizations that focus on gun violence intervention and prevention, ensuring that these organizations have the support and resources they need to steer young people away from the cycle of violence and towards positive life trajectories.  

  

This month, Congressman Goldman jointly introduced the  ‘Firearm Destruction Licensure Act,’ alongside Senator Schiff (CA). This legislation would close a gun loophole that is allowing firearms designated for destruction to be sold back into American communities and potentially into the hands of bad actors.   

  

This week, Congressman Goldman and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the ‘Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act,’ which would address flaws in the background check process and keep firearms out of the hands of individuals that courts determine pose a risk of harm to others. Senator Booker introduced the companion bill in the Senate.