Mother of girls shot at playground calls for community programs to stop gun crime
TORONTO — The mother of two young girls who were hit by stray bullets at a Toronto playground last month called Monday for better education and community support programs, not increased police presence, to curb gun violence in the city.
Toronto must reduce the number of young people who turn to crime, Stacey King said at a meeting of the city’s board of health where ongoing research into community violence was being discussed.
“Too many young kids are dying, too many young kids have access to guns,” King said. “We need to put a stop to this. When is this going to stop?”
The June 14 shooting that sent King’s five and nine-year-old daughters to hospital was just one in a string of high-profile gun crimes this spring and summer that has led to increased calls for the municipal, provincial and federal governments to take action.