Democrats Max Rose and Jessica Scarcella-Spanton call for immediate federal action on gun

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Former Congressman and combat veteran Max Rose held a press conference Saturday afternoon alongside New York State Senate candidate Jessica Scarcella-Spanton demanding that Congress make passing comprehensive gun reform its number one priority.

“We need elected officials who are on the side of keeping our kids alive, not letting criminals and potential mass shooters obtain assault weapons,” Rose said.

“For all those parents like me who feel their heart leave their chest every time we drop our kids off at school and wonder if it could happen here, we must send a message in November: Our kids matter more than politics,” he continued.

Rose said GOP Congressmembers are “playing politics with our safety.”

Scarella-Spanton, whose running to replace Sen. Diane Savino after Savino said she would not be seeking reelection, added: “I am standing here today as a mom of two small children. My daughter Emily is eight and my son Jack is six.”

“Every day, parents across the entire country are worried about our children with regards to gun violence. We have seen what just happened in Uvalde [Texas] and we have seen this movie time and time and time again. So, I am here to make sure that our federal government takes the actions needed to protect our children and to protect the people of this country. It’s ridiculous that people can go out at 18 years old and buy an assault rifle,” Scarcella-Spanton said.

On May 24, 19 students and two teachers were shot and killed, and an additional 17 more were wounded at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, used two AR-15 style assault rifles that he had purchased two days after turning 18. Ramos also shot and critically injured his 66-year-old grandmother before heading to the elementary school.

Less than two weeks later, multiple shooters fired into a crowd of people on a commercial block in Philadelphia on Saturday night, leaving three people dead and at least 11 others wounded, NBC Philadelphia reported.

In May, a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that left 10 people dead.

Rose will face veteran Brittany Ramos DeBarros in a primary later this month as Democrats look to retake New York’s 11th Congressional District from incumbent Nicole Malliotakis who defeated Rose during the 2020 elections.