4581424 Resolution 20-296, "Sense of the Council of the District of Columbia on the September 16, 2013, Navy Yard Tragedy Resolution of 2013"

A RESOLUTION

 

20-296 

 

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

October 1, 2013

 

 

To declare the sense of the Council of the District of Columbia on the September 16, 2013, Navy Yard tragedy. 

 

            RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Sense of the Council of the District of Columbia on the September 16, 2013, Navy Yard Tragedy Resolution of 2013”.

 

            Sec. 2.  The Council of the District of Columbia finds that:

                        (1)  We condemn the senseless and horrific acts that occurred on the morning of September 16, 2013, at the District of Columbia Navy Yard, when a lone gunman entered Building 197 and shot, seemingly indiscriminately, at employees of the complex.  The shooting rampage resulted in 12 deaths and many injuries.

                        (2)  As we have all done all too often when such unconscionable acts of violence occur, we denounce these acts, and express our deepest sympathies to the family members of those who perished in this tragedy.  Like similar tragedies that grip national attention, we feel a preeminent sense of sadness at how such events could unfold, and we empathize with those closely affected by it; unlike those tragedies, however, we are all the more pained at how such events could unfold in our neighborhood, and we empathize all the more with the victims and their families because they are our friends, neighbors, or relatives.

                        (3)   We search for a reasonable explanation for how such senseless gun violence can occur—and continue to occur.  We note that as the echoes of earlier shooting tragedies continue to reverberate as part of our national conversation on such violence, we have found no way, as a country or a culture, to effectively respond.  Our inaction means more marks on the map detailing the locations of senseless shooting massacres; the District of Columbia, now, being the location of one of these unfortunate marks.

                        (4)  We, as residents of the District of Columbia and citizens of the United States of America, dismiss inaction in response to such violence as unacceptable.

                        (5)  We condemn the monstrous acts of the individual responsible.  His acts not only inflicted violence on the District, but terrorized the entire nation and compounded our fear.

                        (6)  We extend our sincere sympathy and prayers to the 12 individuals who perished—Michael Arnold (59 years old), Martin Bodrog (54 years old), Arthur Daniels (51 years old, resident of Southeast, DC), Sylvia Frasier (53 years old), Kathy Gaarde (62 years old), John Roger Johnson (73 years old), Mary Francis Knight (51 years old), Frank Kohler (50 years old), Vishnu Bhalchandra Pandit (61 years old), Kenneth Bernard Proctor (46 years old), Gerald Read (58 years old), and Richard Michael Ridgell (52 years old)—the many who were injured, and the families and friends of all the victims.

                        (7)  We praise and thank the first responders for their heroism and self-sacrifice; their actions surely mitigated the injury and loss of life.   We likewise praise and thank the coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in responding to this tragedy.

                        (9)  We express hope, as we have for other jurisdictions similarly effected by such violence, that the District of Columbia will be able to heal quickly from the pain and disruption that has been brought upon us, that our residents will again feel safe and secure, and that all of those who live in or visit here will be without fear of such unprovoked and unexplainable violence as befell the District of Columbia on September 16, 2013.   

 

            Sec. 3.  It is the sense of the Council of the District of Columbia that:

                        (1)  We proclaim our solidarity as residents of the District of Columbia: honoring the victims of the September 16, 2013, Navy Yard tragedy, supporting those attempting to come to terms with the tragedy and to heal, and standing strong as the Nation’s Capital in defiance of such unconscionable and cowardly acts of violence that has befallen our jurisdiction.

                        (2)  We pledge our continuing support for the efforts of emergency responders and disaster preparedness personnel at the federal, state, and local levels in their work to ensure the safety and security of the Nation’s Capital, and all locations throughout the country; preserving our rights and liberties in a free and democratic society.

 

            Sec. 4.  This resolution shall take effect immediately.