CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON MASS SHOOTING IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 14, 2022

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York by a racist extremist who livestreamed his despicable and inhumane carnage at Tops Supermarket:

“This was a purely evil act by a racist extremist and I am deeply heart broken and saddened by this senseless act of cowardly violence committed against unsuspecting shoppers. My heart goes out to all the victims and the families affected by this horrific tragedy. Beyond condolences and outrage, it’s clear America needs a national strategy to combat domestic terrorism once and for all,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

“Sadly, this is not a phenomenon. Black communities across our nation continue to be under threat of domestic terrorism and racist extremists. Racism has had a long and brutal history inflicting wrenching pain, and generational trauma on our bodies since the birth of our nation. From lynching’s, Jim Crow policies to the burning of Black Wall Street and Dylann Roof calmly gunning down Black worshipers praying in a church. Black people continue to endure these vicious racist attacks on our humanity, our culture and our civil rights. Enough is enough. The time has come to confront this incessant hatred with the same determination it has in dehumanizing Black people and other marginalized groups. We must come together as a nation to address this level of violence and the factors that lead up to it, and stop it for good. This must be a mission that unites all Americans because racism threatens our public safety and corrodes our democracy.”

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Yvette D. Clarke has been in Congress since 2007. She represents New York’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes Central and South Brooklyn. Clarke is a Senior Member of both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and House Committee on Homeland Security, where she serves as Chair of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee.