Student Government Board condemns recent mass shootings, calls for increased gun control measures

The Student Government Board released a statement on Wednesday condemning recent mass shootings across the U.S. The specific shootings SGB noted in the statement include the Dallas hair salon shooting on May 11, the Buffalo supermarket shooting on May 14, the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church shooting on May 15 and the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24. 

Danielle Floyd, president of SGB, said SGB is “outraged” by these shootings and that they stand with the communities affected by them.

“As students who have grown up with lockdown drills, we know that this issue is neither distant nor rare,” Floyd said in the statement. “Education is why we are here at Pitt, and no person should have their academic opportunities compromised by fear and violence.”

Floyd said it is “impossible to ignore” that many of the recent shootings were “motivated by white supremacy” and confirmed as hate crimes by local police, especially when considering that communities in Pittsburgh endured the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Oct. 2018.

“Pitt SGB stands with Black, Latinx, Jewish, Asian American, Pacific Islander and other underrepresented communities of students, staff, faculty and community members here in Pittsburgh and around the world,” Floyd said. “As SGB has done in the past, we condemn the racism and white supremacy that has fueled not only these incidents, but the many other acts of violence against marginalized groups.” 

The statement also asked local and state governments to address gun violence through increased gun control measures. This would “address the problem at its root cause,” according to Floyd. 

“As it has been said many times these past few weeks, this is a uniquely American issue,” Floyd said. “So, let’s solve it.” 

The statement also encouraged people to donate to those affected by gun violence and mass shootings through resources such as Uvalde verified GoFundMe fundraisers for the victims, Voice Buffalo and the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center.