Members of Asian Pacific American Legislative Caucus express sympathy for victims and Asian American community, redouble call for policy reforms
LANSING, Mich. (Jan. 22, 2023) — Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) and Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) have issued the following statement on the mass shooting in Monterey Park on Lunar New Year’s Eve. The legislators are members of the Asian Pacific American Legislative Caucus.
“At a time when we are supposed to be focused on the sharing of joy and celebration with many of our fellow Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, we instead face today with the shock and pain over another tragedy. Our hearts go out to the community in Monterey Park and everyone around the country celebrating Lunar New Year that is terrified by this news.
“This new year has sadly already been tainted by the same problems that have continually been plaguing our state and our country: brutal and senseless violence at the hands of a mass shooter. We have to put a stop to this ever-growing list of lives lost to mass shootings and gun violence, and these issues need to be prioritized for policy action in our state and around the country.
“While the suspect has not been apprehended and the exact motives are still unknown for this attack, the devastation and fear are certainly being felt by the AAPI community, which has experienced increased violence in recent years. However, the AAPI community is strong and resilient. We will band together as a community and counter violence with peace, fear with hope, hate with love, and inaction with long-needed change.”
###