THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
NEW YORK

OFFICES OF COUNCIL MEMBER
YDANIS RODRIGUEZ
  
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-7053

Thursday, June 28, 2018

**Press Release**

Contact: Stephanie Miliano / 954-534-2144 / smiliano@council.nyc.gov 

CALL TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND SUPPORT OUR YOUTH

Elected officials, youth advocates and bodega owners stand together following violent events among youth in past two weeks




New York, NY  - Standing on the steps of City Hall, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez joined by his colleagues Council Members Carlina Rivera, Francisco Moya, Jumaane Williams; Senator Marisol Alcántara; Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa; Dominican Congressman Ruben Luna;  Rev. Kirsten John Foy, Northeast Regional Director of the National Action Network; Shanduke McPhatter, CEO, Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc.; Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation; Francisco Marte, Asociación de Bodegueros de los Estados Unidos; Nelson Eusebio, National Supermarket Association; other elected officials and youth advocates called for an end to violence among youth and more investment in young men of color.

Last week, on June 20th, 15-year-old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz was stabbed to death with a machete by members of the gang "Trinitarios" outside a bodega near his home in the Belmont section of the Bronx. He was mistaken for a member of a rival gang. Junior's death came a few days after a 14-year-old boy was violently stabbed in broad daylight on the Bronx River Parkway.

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and advocates present called for greater investment in parent engagement in public schools, and education, cultural, and leadership programs, including increasing Summer Youth Employment slots to 100,000, with measurable outcomes and funds that can be easily tracked to ensure optimal impact.
 
"We must bring justice to the families and victims of the violent stabbings over the past two weeks, including Junior who was fatally attacked. These crimes are a reminder that our young men deserve our full attention and bold action to ensure that our youth understand that there is a path to success," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. "Every community of color has its unique challenges and we must do more to tailor our efforts to them. Our young people must feel educationally and emotionally equipped to face life's challenges, and trained for jobs of the future, such as STEM jobs, so they don't fall behind."

"Junior's tragic death caused by gang related activity is a clear sign that we must work harder to provide our youth with more academic, social, and emotional support. No young adult should feel the need to become a part of a gang as it reflects our failure to provide adequate academic programs and employment opportunities. I vow to continue to support our local schools and community based organizations so that our students have a community structure in place that support their development," said  Senator Marisol Alcantara.

"The violence we have witnessed in our communities for years has come to a head with the brutal murder of Lesandro Guzman-Feliz in the Bronx this past week. Our communities have been moved to action because we can no longer bare losing our children on our streets" said  Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa. " Today, as our city mourns the loss of cut down potential, I am proud to join by colleagues in calling for a stop to violence in our communities and a focused investment in Anti-gang and Anti-violence funding in New York's poorest communities."

"This tragedy saddens me because while we are in the month of June, the season of graduations and prom in which we Celebrate student growth and achievement, we are forced to mourn the gruesome death of 15 year old Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz. It's unfortunate that there are idiots in the world who think they can take a life and because of what...idiocy? My deepest condolences to the family. The men involved should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said  Council Member Andy King, Chair of the Council Committee on Juvenile Justice.

"The senseless death of Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz should outrage every person in our city," said Council Member Mark Treyger, Chairman of the Education Committee. "Our city must do more to protect our kids by investing in their safety and future, from making sure we have social workers at every single school to increasing the Crisis Management System and expanding the Summer Youth Employment Program.  Our city needs to do right by our young people by making sure we invest in their social, emotional, and economic needs."

"Junior's death is yet another painful reminder that we must work harder to protect our youth, especially young men of color, who become entangled in cyclical violence," said Public Advocate Letitia James. "These children are the future -- so we must invest in their futures. We cannot and will not stop fighting until our children are safe."

"Our young men and women are the future of this great city, and we must do everything in our power to steer them away from violence. As a member of the Youth Services Committee, I believe that more opportunities for our young people will encourage them to be engaged in positive activities that will benefit the community. These senseless acts of violence cause tremendous pain to our families while threatening the safety of our neighborhoods, and it is long overdue that we take additional steps to prevent them," said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.

"Violence, like that which took the life of Junior Guzman-Feliz, continues to be far too prevalent in communities throughout our city, particularly communities of color. We must immediately address this unfortunate trend and give our youth the opportunity to live long, prosperous lives here free from the constant threat of violence. To that end, it is imperative we correct the long-term underinvestment in these communities by dedicating resources to create more equity in education, employment, and opportunity," said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.

"The senseless killing of Junior Guzman-Feliz devastated the entire city. Violence is a tragic reality in too many neighborhoods, and all of us must come together to put an end to it. I stand with my Council colleagues in calling for increased investment in our communities and additional opportunities for young people," said Council Member Rory Lancman.

"Our children are our City's greatest resource, what happened to 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz is an unspeakable tragedy that should have never ever occurred," said Council Member Ben Kallos. "Every borough and community should be working to protect our kids from this kind of violence. We all need to demand greater City investments in programs for our youth in the communities that need it most and we need to support parent engagement with local schools, all while bolstering educational opportunities for young men of color." 

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