Senator Gillibrand joins NYC Mayor’s hopeful Adams in pushing for a bipartisan bill that makes gun trafficking a federal crime – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Two New York lawmakers joined forces to tackle the gun trade.

On Monday, new legislation was announced in honor of a Brooklyn teenager killed by gun violence, CBS2’s Christina Fan reported.

Twelve years after 17-year-old Nyasia Pryear was killed by a stray bullet, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand again introduced a bill to honor the youth, trying to eliminate the scourge of illegal guns súng.

“The man who shot and killed Nyasia used a human trafficking gun, a gun that should never have been on the streets of New York,” Gillibrand said.

READ MORE: Eric Adams appeals to Mayor De Blasio for continued gun violence, says he must go to Bronx to reassure residents

Young New York Senator Joins Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams promote bipartisan legislation that makes gun trafficking a federal crime. The bill, which Gillibrand believes will eventually get enough votes to pass, would also increase penalties for those directly involved in the illegal transport of firearms across state lines.

“We know that nearly 90 percent of firearms used in crimes in New York are trafficked from abroad,” Gillibrand said.

The bill’s reintroduction comes amid a 22 percent spike in shootings in New York City this year.

“In Brooklyn alone, 306 people have been shot so far,” Adams said.

READ MORE: Governor Cuomo Announces New Partnership with Mayoral’s Hopeful Eric Adams to Fight Gun Violence in NYC

In the first day of this month, Governor Andrew Cuomo gun violence declaration a disaster emergency. On Monday, members of his administration held a community meeting in Brooklyn to discuss strategies.

“The Governor has announced that more than 4,000 jobs will be available to at-risk youth in violence hotspots,” said Ruth Hassell-Thompson, the state’s special counsel for community affairs and policy. gun force in New York City.

Part of the governor’s plan also involves retrieving illegal guns from the streets by creating a new state police gun-trafficking police unit.

In 2013, the bill fell two votes short to avoid a vote. Gillibrand is expected to reintroduce the bill to Congress later this week.

CBS2’s Christina Fan contributed to this report.