Blackshear Issues Statement on Tragic Shooting of Legaci Taylor

Today, state Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton) issued the following statement regarding the Dayton shooting that killed 5-year-old Legaci Deshawn Taylor.

“Another young life has been tragically lost to gun violence in our state,” said Blackshear. “We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in our communities. We must ‘Do Something’ as a legislature if we want to see a reduction of violence in our state. Now is not the time to play politics with people’s lives.” 

The shooting took place on Friday before 9:30 pm in the 3000 block of Nicholas Road near Millicent Avenue. Dayton Police are seeking information as they investigate the shooting.

Since Senator Blackshear took office as a state representative in 2021, the legislature has passed zero common-sense gun reforms. Additionally, the passage of Senate Bill 215 in 2022 created “permitless carry.” Senator Blackshear and his Democratic colleagues have introduced and cosponsored bills to do the following:

• Restore local authority to regulate firearms
• Prohibit firearm sales without a background check
• Create Extreme Risk Protection Orders
• Provide tax credits for safe storage and gun training
• Require Trigger Locks and other protective measures at the point of sale
• Prohibit certain conduct that accelerates a firearm's rate of fire
• Increase the penalty for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm
• Prohibit firearm possession for certain domestic violence offenses