Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer is taking aim at criminals and gunslingers that use the Queensbridge Housing Project as a shooting range.
Van Bramer, who has introduced five new gun control laws for approval by the City Council, was leading an anti-gun rally at the Long Island City housing project on October 1, when shots rang out at a nearby location where a female resident was shot in the left leg.
The incident echoes the need for passage of the bills and an end to the violence that threatens the lives of Queensbridge residents on a daily basis, a Van Bramer spokesperson said.
The rally followed the arrest of a 37-year-old Harlem man charged with firing five shots outside the housing project on September 22, wounding a teenager inside her family’s third-floor apartment.
Detectives at the 114th Precinct Squad arrested Day Bryant, who they say was casually singing a tune when he squeezed off five rounds at about 5:08 a.m. on September 22, outside a building at 40-15 10th St. in Long Island City.
One of the rounds tore through a window at the apartment where Amy Sanchez, 15, was doing her homework, police said. The teen that had a habit of waking early to do homework, ducked to avoid being hit by the bullet, but it ricocheted off a wall and struck her left hand.
Van Bramer said he “is extremely proud of Sanchez”, who joined the group of lawmakers, local leaders and Queensbridge residents at the October 1 rally.
“Her courage to stand up with us against gun violence in her community is an inspiration to the thousands of people in Queensbridge who also agree that the violence must end,” Van Bramer said.
Van Bramer said he introduced five resolutions to the city council earlier this month, calling on the New York state Legislature to pass the bills that would:
Require a 10-day waiting period for all firearm purchases,
Limit gun purchases to one per month to curtail gun trafficking,
Force every gun purchaser to take a weapons safety course,
Limit ammunition sales to locations that also sell firearms,
Close loopholes as well as require background checks for all purchases of firearms, including private sales.
“The combination of these efforts will help put an end to the recent spike in shootings at the Queensbridge Houses,” Van Bramer said. “My office will continue to be active on this issue going forward.” “We cannot tolerate another act of violence in our community and I will do all I can to work with local leaders and neighborhood residents to stop anyone else from becoming a victim.”
Van Bramer said his office has been in touch with Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, calling for an increase in police resources and patrols in and around Queensbridge.
“With additional resources for Housing Police Service Area 9, as well as the 114th Precinct, we can continue to build a relationship with the community that helps instill a better sense of security and ensures the welfare of thousands of residents in the Queensbridge Houses,” Van Bramer said.
State Senator Michael Gianaris told the Gazette the Sanchez shooting “is an example of the need for more sensible gun laws”. Gianaris is currently sponsoring five gun-control bills in the state senate that would mandate additional background checks and a waiting period for individuals purchasing weapons, along with a system for reporting firearms sales.
Van Bramer said his office has repeatedly sponsored local community organizations, schools, libraries, cultural, athletic and after-school programs at the Queensbridge Housing Project that provide local youth with quality recreational, educational and cultural activities as an alternative to criminal activity.
His council office has also invested millions of dollars into Queensbridge Park, to ensure that thousands of young people have an outdoor space for recreational activities, Van Bramer said.
