Bronx, NY (May 13, 2025) – Following a shooting next to her district office, NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez released the following statement: 

“On Monday, May 5, there was a shooting inside the building that houses my district office—a horrifying act of violence that left a young person hurt, and our community shaken.

As a mother, a neighbor, and the representative of this community—where I was born, raised, and still live—I am heartbroken and furious. A young person harmed another young person. This is not normal. This is unacceptable.

Thank you to BRAG for holding a rally to say loud and clear: Put the guns down. Lift the lives up. Stop the violence.

In 2022, we experienced two shootouts right outside this same building. But we didn’t walk away—we stayed. We organized. We block-partied. We invested in healing. And together, we saw the violence go down. But we will not rest until it reaches zero—because every life in our community is sacred. 

Through persistent advocacy, I founded the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, and secured a commitment from the Governor for $10 million in resources to uplift our neighborhoods with a public health and community-driven approach to safety. We need to see those dollars hit our streets—urgently. 

I also pushed the Mayor to bring the Every Block Counts initiative to this block, focusing city agencies where the need is greatest. We were promised investments, including cameras. We need them now. 

Our children deserve bright, safe futures. We will keep pushing, organizing, and investing in real solutions until every block in our community is a place of peace, promise, and opportunity.”

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