FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Kristia Winter, Communications Director
KWinter@council.nyc.gov, 718-629-2900

NEW YORK — Council Member Farah N. Louis (D-Brooklyn) issued the following statement after two separate shootings in Flatbush killed 62-year-old Daniel Romulus and wounded a woman listed in stable condition at Kings County Hospital. The shootings, which occurred on Saturday, were 2.5 hours and about a mile apart. The perpetrator has not been identified or apprehended in either case. NYPD has not confirmed whether the two shootings are related.

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER LOUIS

“Between the COVID-19 pandemic and prevalence of gun violence, our city is near its breaking point. We have already lost so many relatives, colleagues, and friends this year alone.  

“Instead of spending the holiday season at home among loved ones and counting down to the New Year, one family will be planning a funeral while another family hopes for a speedy recovery. 

“Our streets are no longer safe, and neither are our homes when there are one or more unidentified suspects terrorizing apartment buildings in our community without hesitation. These incidents — related or not — are amoral. To break the cycle of violence, we must break our silence to hold these individuals accountable for their actions.  

“I denounce and condemn gun violence, which affects all of us. I will continue to work closely with the Mayor, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), and Cure Violence groups to address these incidents and demand justice for the victims.  

“We cannot continue to depend on Congress or the NYPD to take action and stop gun trafficking. Black and brown communities, engulfed in dual health crises, are dying at alarming rates. The end begins with us. Every block of this community belongs to the individuals who sacrificed and fought hard to reclaim it from perpetrators. We have lived here for generations, purchased homes, opened small businesses, and there is no way that we are going backward. 

“I pray for healing, peace, and strength for the affected families.”  

New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis represents the 45th Council District, which comprises Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, Flatlands, & Kensington in Brooklyn, NY. She is a member of the committees on Civil Service and Labor; Economic Development; Education; Finance; Housing and Buildings; Youth Services; and Justice System. Council Member Louis is the Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus and Vice Co-Chair of the Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus.

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