Reactions to Wednesday's shooting of 5 people in Midtown Atlanta
ATLANTA - Reactions are pouring in after five women were shot on Wednesday afternoon in a medical office in Midtown Atlanta.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was one of the first to tweet about the situation and later appeared in a press conference with the Atlanta Police Department's Chief of Police.
Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms remarked on the fact that all of the victims are women:
RELATED: What we know about the suspect in the Midtown Atlanta active shooting
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During today's White House press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reports that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are aware of and are following news about the shooting.
Calling the situation "very fluid," Jean-Pierre said that the administration is urging Atlanta residents to follow instructions from local officials and keep safe.
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Martin Luther King, III, Chairman of the Drum Major Institute, and Arndrea Waters King, President of the Drum Major Institute, released the following statement on the mass shooting in Atlanta, Ga.
"Once again, we find ourselves trying to make sense of another tragic shooting. Our family has been a victim of gun violence and know the pain being felt by the victims’ families today. While the facts are still unfolding, we do know that one life has been lost and several injuries reported. On what was an otherwise a beautiful Atlanta today, instead has turned to tragedy. Enough is enough.
"Our family has never just accepted the status quo when injustice is occurring, and today is no different. No nation sees gun violence at the levels we are seeing in America today. We have a responsibility to call for change. We cannot afford to become desensitized this. It’s happening everywhere – nearly every day – in schools, in grocery stores, and now in the middle of a major American city. Thoughts and prayers from elected officials who think more guns on our streets is the answer is insulting at this point. We aren’t just calling for change – we’re demanding it. This year, we mark the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, and while we’ll take to the streets of Washington to call for change in August, we need action now because words are not enough."
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Sen. Raphael Warnock also spoke about the shooting on the Senate floor after the shooting. He called on Congress to act on gun reform and said that his children were locked down at school during the incident.
The following is a transcript of his speech:
This ongoing, slow-moving tragedy in our country, mass shootings as routine, is not the cost of freedom. It is the cost of blind obstinance, a refusal to change course even when the evidence suggests we must do something different. It is the cost of demagoguery. Those who want to convince us that common sense gun reform is somehow a call to take everybody's guns. This is not the cost of freedom. Dare I say it is the cost of greed. Gun lobbyists willing to line their pockets, even at the cost of our children. I'm proud of the fact that after 30 years we passed some gun legislation. But obviously it's not enough. 87% or more of Americans believe we should have universal background checks, and still we can't get it. In a country where everybody says we're divided, and there are deep divisions to be sure, and disagreement on this issue to be sure. But in a country where there is 87% agreement on something, there's no movement on it in Congress. Which means that that's a problem with our democracy. People's voices have been squeezed out of the democracy. There's a growing chasm between what the people actually want, and what they can get from their government. Mentions the Tennessee Three. We have to give the people their voices back. If we refuse to act while our children are dying, and at a moment when no one is safe, then shame on us. Shame on us if we allow this to happen and we do absolutely nothing. I'm pleading. I'm begging. All of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to remember the covenant with one another as American people. Stand up in this defining moment. And do everything we can to protect all of us, and certainly all of our children. We owe it to the people who sent us here. I know there are those who will look at this moment and say politically, are we really able to get anything done here? They'll ask, if this is the time, given the state of politics in our country right now. I respond with the words of Dr. King who said the time is always right to do what is right. And that time is right now.
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Sen. Jon Ossoff released the following statement:
"Today’s horrific attack at Northside Medical Midtown is an attack on all Georgians.
"I send my condolences to the family of the deceased, and I pray for the health of those wounded, their families, and all who witnessed such a terrible event.
"I thank all first responders, officers, deputies, and Federal agents who responded to the scene and who are now working to apprehend the suspect.
"The level of gun violence in America today is unconscionable and unacceptable, and policymakers at all levels have a responsibility to ensure public safety and implement long-overdue reforms.
"I remain in communication with state and local elected leaders and law enforcement officials and continue to monitor the situation closely.
"Residents are urged to comply with directions from local public safety officials as an armed and dangerous assailant remains at large."
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Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman tweeted the following:
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The Georgia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement in response to a shooting in Midtown Atlanta.
While details are still emerging, initial reporting shows at least one person has been shot and killed and four others have been wounded. The scene is still active and those in the surrounding areas are being asked to shelter in place.
"Georgia lawmakers have created a reality for my generation where an act as simple as entering a building could be met with gunfire," said Insherah Qazi, a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of Students Demand Action. "We shouldn’t have to live like this. Our lawmakers should remember that the next session is on the horizon and so are elections. We’ll continue to raise our voices at the state house and at the ballot box so future generations don’t have to grow up in a world plagued by gun violence as we have."
"Georgians are witnessing in real time the fallout of the gun lobby’s ‘guns everywhere’ agenda as lives are lost and others are permanently altered in senseless and preventable tragedies," said Page Rast, a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action. "We all have the right to feel safe going to work, in our daily routines, and in our communities — and we won’t stop fighting for common-sense gun safety until every Georgian is guaranteed it."
In recent years, the Georgia State Legislature has been ceding to the gun lobby’s "guns everywhere" agenda, by allowing guns to be carried nearly anywhere in the state — from the busy Atlanta airport to college campuses. Last session, Georgia repealed the requirement that a person gets a permit and passes a background check to carry a concealed handgun in public, despite 88 percent of Americans agreeing a permit should be required before carrying a concealed gun in public.
These dangerous gun laws have and continue to make Georgians less safe. Gun violence costs Georgia $23.9 billion each year, of which $597.8 million is paid by taxpayers.Georgia suffers from some of the weakest gun laws in the country and in an average year, 1,868 people die by guns in Georgia, and 4,321 more are wounded. With a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 people, Georgia has the 17th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Georgia. To speak to a Georgia volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please contact press@everytown.org.
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Wednesday night, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that he and his family were "heartbroken" by the shooting and are praying for everyone impacted.
"We're also thanking God for the brave local and state law enforcement who responded forcefully and without hesitation. Thanks to their efforts, the shooter is now in custody and will face justice." Kemp wrote. "These heroes demonstrated yet again their professionalism, courage, and unwavering dedication to protecting their fellow Georgians. With public safety partners like them on all levels, we remain vigilant against such act of heartless violence in our communities."