Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh Statement on Recent Acts of Violence Among Teens

“In recent days, we have lost two teenagers to acts of violence involving other teens. Tonight, the victim was a 13 year old girl. This weekend, we lost a 15 year old boy. My prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as all of those touched by these tragedies.

In Syracuse right now, we have children and families in crisis. They are living in constant trauma in circumstances made worse by the stress and disruption of the last year. As a community, we need to give them refuge. We need to teach our children to value their own lives and the lives of others. We need to show them they are cared for in our homes, schools, community centers, places of worship and even in our streets. The City and the Syracuse Police are working closely with our community partners to protect and support our youth. We must and will do more.”