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Americans received devastating news last week as 22-year-old NYPD officer Jason Rivera was shot and killed on duty.
A second officer, 27-year-old Wilbert More, was shot and struggling for his life.
The suspect has been identified as 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil.
As the officers approached him in a long hallway, McNeil opened fire. He was then shot twice by a third officer.
In response, New York Governor Kathy Hochul placed blame on an “illegal gun” for the fatal shooting.
“Last night, a shot from an illegal gun took the life of an NYPD officer,” she said.
She continued, “When I say we’re going to do everything we can to stop the scourge of illegal guns in our state, it’s not just talk. We are tripling funding for efforts to get these guns off the streets.”
Watch the clip:
Last night, a shot from an illegal gun took the life of a @NYPDnews officer.
When I say we’re going to do everything we can to stop the scourge of illegal guns in our state, it’s not just talk. We are tripling funding for efforts to get these guns off the streets. pic.twitter.com/zXv0xbL4Em
— Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 22, 2022
Other Democrats have also responded to the shooting by calling from more gun control
New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is also a Democrat, has called for more gun control.
New York already has some of the most stringent gun controls in the country.
It is ranked number three for “gun law strength” by the left-wing group called “Everytown for Gun Safety,” which is backed by anti-gun billionaire Mike Bloomberg.