Roosevelt Field Shooting is 'Part of the National Firearm Crisis': Lavine

Long Island residents have been up in arms since the attempted robbery and shooting that occurred at Roosevelt Field Mall on Tuesday afternoon.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine issued a letter to County Executive Ed Mangano on his concerns following this incident.

In the letter, Lavine says he urges Nassau County to organize tactical training exercises with mall employees so they could protect citizens if a similar incident ever occurs.

Read Lavine’s full letter below:

_______

Dear County Executive Mangano,

A shooting yesterday at the Roosevelt Field Mall resulted in the serious wounding of one of our fellow citizens and caused great anxiety to hundreds of shoppers and mall employees. Some may say that this instance of wanton gun violence strikes close to home. A closer analysis, however, proves that everyday gun violence is not just “close to home,” but is tragically inside our homes as well. Ask the family of Dejah Joyner, a child murdered inside what was supposed to have been the safety of her Hempstead home in October.

Notwithstanding the support you receive from the National Rifle Association, its Political Voting Fund, its Institute for Legislative Action and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, its official state affiliate, the Roosevelt Field shooting represents yet another instance of our national crisis in the proliferation of firearms.

You and I have obvious political differences on the question of weapons control. Still, we share the belief that our citizens should be able to walk our streets in safety.

It is based on this shared position that I urge that the County establish tactical training exercises with the merchants of our malls, their employees and their security personnel to better prepare for the next eventuality of weapons violence in one of our shopping centers.

The weapons control debate will certainly continue in our state and federal legislatures. In the meantime, there is every reason for our counties, especially Nassau, to interface with our local merchants to be more able to protect our fellow citizens who support our economy by shopping and gathering in our public marketplaces.

Thank you for your consideration respecting this matter.

Sincerely,

Charles Lavine

Member of Assembly

Charles D. Lavine represents the 13th Assembly District, which consists of communities in the northeastern section of Nassau County.

Photo via Twitter/@MikeyNyNex, NY State Assembly