BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Common Council Member Zeneta Everhart has been working with the White House on gun violence prevention efforts since the Buffalo mass shooting in May 2022 that claimed the lives of 10 of our friends and neighbors. Everhart's son, Zaire Goodman, was injured in the shooting.
"I'm exhausted. I'm tired of hearing people talk about gun violence," said Everhart.
Everhart said because of the Buffalo mass shooting, there is now an Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the White House and that a designated office in Western New York would help connect people to important resources.
"The office will look like exactly what we see in the White House," Everhart said. "They will be there to support these community organizations. This office is about making sure that if someone is shot on the street their mother can get counseling so she's not stressed out and not sleeping in the middle of the night. I know what that feels like."
Everhart and many others, including the chairman of Stop The Violence, Murray Holman believe an Office of Gun Violence Prevention could make a difference.
"We're in another phase of trying to educate our youth not to pick up a gun," said Holman. "There needs to be more organizations to talk to the youth, talk to the families, and put accountability on some of those parents out there who are allowing their children to carry guns."
"Gun violence doesn't have a socioeconomic background. It affects us all," said Kareema Morris, founder of Bury the Violence. "We are living in fear. It's all of our community and our city, and it's our babies. We're starting to lose our babies without an explanation."
"Me and my wife started our program because I lost a son. Also, her daughter was murdered. We know firsthand how it feels to lose a loved one to gun violence," said Billie Webster, president of Mothers Against Violence. "We need your help. We need all of us to come together as one."
"To make sure that our young people are here. We have to address the issue of gun violence. But it's not enough for us to just talk about what we need to do. It's also important that we put resources, time, and energy into real policy that can change lives," said Council Woman Leah M. Halton-Pope. "We can figure out ways to wrap ourselves around young people and our community as a whole."
This announcement follows a violent weekend in the City of Buffalo.
"We had a total of four shooting incidents that resulted in six victims," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Commissioner Gramaglia told 7 News the shootings happened at parties and one was outside a bar.
"Our officers were out chasing parties all weekend. We broke up a significant amount of parties over the weekend," Gramaglia said.
Law enforcement has been working to put an end to the violence.
"I've had several discussions over the last couple of years with Greg Jackson in D.C. from the office of Gun Violence Prevention from the White House," said Gramaglia. "We're always willing to work with everybody as a community to make sure we have a safe community and get our shootings down to none."
Everhart said the office would be funded by the federal government and she hopes to have it up and running inside City Hall before the end of the year. It would be known by the acronym "BISON," Buffalo Initiative for Safer, Organized Neighborhoods.
