Gunshots Ring Out While St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones Gives Speech On Gun Violence
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones was giving a speech on gun violence and, ironically, gunshots rang out during it. However, Mayor Jones didn’t miss a beat.
According to CNN, at an Oct. 29 press conference, gunshots rang out as Jones was giving a speech.
"My son and I fall asleep to the lullaby of gunshots in the distance every night. It's a part of my life now and that shouldn't be," Jones said.
She also responded to the gunshots by sarcastically remarking “isn’t that wonderful?” and casually looking around. When asked by a reporter if she felt safe following the shots, Jones responded, “We live in a neighborhood [where] we hear it more often than not.”
The moment came after a roundtable discussion on gun violence with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“The sound of gunshots is a regular occurrence in too many areas of my city as well; something I grew to know from youth,” he said in a tweet after the incident. “Today’s shots reminded us of the reality so many of our sisters, brothers, and babies face each day and the need for change.”
According to a press release, Lucas was in St. Louis for a two-day visit as part of “a continued effort by both administrations to promote regionalism among leaders in the state of Missouri and share best practices for public safety, equitable development, and more.”
The two mayors met with gun violence survivors in Dutchtown – a St. Louis neighborhood which has put in place Cure Violence programs.
