Today, state Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Avondale) issued the following statement in response to four mass shootings that took place in the U.S. over the weekend, including two in Ohio. 

“I was horrified to learn about the four mass shootings over the weekend that killed seven people in our country, including four here in Ohio. Young people are dying and these tragedies will continue to happen until we decide to do something to stop guns from getting into the hands of the wrong people. The legislature must move to pass universal background checks, close the gun show loophole and raise the minimum age to purchase any firearm to 21 years old. Our children’s lives and the safety of our communities depend on it.”
 

• A shooting on Saturday, May 22, at Bicentennial Park in Columbus left one teen dead and seven others injured.


• A shooting on Saturday, May 22, in North Charleston, South Carolina, left one teen dead and 14 others injured.


•  A shooting on Sunday, May 23, in Youngstown left three people dead and at least three more injured. 


• A shooting on Sunday, May 23, in Bridgeton, New Jersey, left two people dead and 12 others injured.