NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

On 2026-06-04, Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH-13) delivered a floor speech titled "NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH" in the House.

NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026)] [House] [Page H3834] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH (Mrs. Sykes of Ohio was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, this National Gun Violence Awareness Month, I rise today thinking about families in Ohio's 13th Congressional District, families whose lives were changed forever by gun violence. One of those families is still grieving the loss of LaTeris Cook, a 27-year-old father of four who was killed during a mass shooting at a neighborhood block party in Akron just 2 years ago. What should have been a joyful summer gathering turned into chaos and tragedy. Twenty- eight people were shot. An entire community was and remains traumatized. Megan Keleman was a recent college graduate who was killed in a Taco Bell drive-through in Tallmadge, Ohio. Her killer, a man who was not allowed to have guns, not only killed her but killed himself in a tragic situation. Her family now mourns her death by advocating for gun safety programs. Another Akron family continues to carry the pain of losing Cortez Davis, Sr., who was shot and killed in 2021 while picking up a child for a birthday celebration. His mother, Delonda Glover, now works with antiviolence organizations in Akron to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak. She said something that captures the pain so many families carry after gun violence: ``Losing a child is a different kind of hurt and pain.'' She is right. Finally, my friend Ericka Weems was killed in 2020 in her home. The crime has gone unsolved, despite national attention. We lost a beloved friend, daughter, educator, and sister. Because gun violence leaves permanent scars on families and communities long after the headlines fade, my heart goes out to the Cook family, the Glover family, the Keleman family, the Weems family, and every family in Ohio's 13th Congressional District and across the country who are trying to heal after losing loved ones to senseless and preventable violence. While these tragedies occurred in my district, the truth is they could have happened anywhere in America: schools, grocery stores, movie theatres, workplaces, birthday parties, the United States Capitol. Too many Americans feel like a shooting can happen anywhere at any moment. Already this year, our country has experienced more than 160 mass shootings. Last year alone, more than 24,000 Americans died by gun suicide. Since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States. In my district, Akron police have responded to 562 calls involving shootings or shots fired through the end of April of this year. That is a 21 percent increase compared to the same time last year. These are not just statistics. These are children, parents, friends, neighbors, entire communities being forced to rebuild again and again. But to the people of my district and to the people across America, this threat of living with gun violence every single day, I want to tell you this: It does not have to be this way. We can stop the cycle of violence. Four years ago, Congress proved progress is possible when we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety legislation in decades, because Democrats and Republicans came together to expand background checks, close the dangerous boyfriend loophole, crack down on illegal gun trafficking, invest in mental health services, strengthen school safety, and fund community intervention programs that are saving lives now. {time} 1030 Yet, there is so much more work to be done. It also shows that when Congress chooses courage over politics, we can make our communities safer. Yet, today, instead of building on that progress, this administration is moving us backward. Just weeks ago, the Trump administration announced efforts to roll back key gun safety protections, including weakening enhanced background checks established under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, rescinding restrictions on stabilizing braces, and repealing the bump stock ban that President Trump himself put into place after the deadly Las Vegas shooting in 2017. There are now even proposals that could make it easier to mail handguns through the postal system, opening the door to more gun trafficking and more dangerous weapons flowing into our communities. Mr. Speaker, if you talk to any law enforcement agency, they will tell you that guns continue to create a problem for the work that they do every day. They encourage us to be smarter on gun safety regulations and ensuring that not only are the communities safer but that those who are sworn to protect and serve us can be safe in their communities, as well. These rollbacks are a choice, Mr. Speaker, and my constituents cannot wait any longer. Americans are demanding action. They want safer schools, neighborhoods, and communities. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired. Mrs. SYKES. They deserve leaders who are willing to put people over politics. Mr. Speaker, this Gun Violence Awareness Month-- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has again expired. Mrs. SYKES.--as we remember families like the Cooks-- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is no longer recognized. ____________________