Springfield city councilman calls for summit after recent city shootings

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The recent shootings in Springfield have highlighted the urgent problem of gun violence in the city. Today, a municipal councilor is calling for a summit between law enforcement, elected officials and members of the community.

Ward 5 Councilman Lavar Click-Bruce condemns the violence, calling it “senseless,” adding that it is “plaguing the city.” Click-Bruce believes that easy access to guns is a major factor in violence in the region.

By bringing all officials and voters to the table, he says it would facilitate effective solutions, including enforcing gun restrictions. He hopes to organize this summit in the next two weeks.

“As a young person myself, I grew up in Mason Square and it's a tough neighborhood and you have to navigate it. And there were people advocating like me now and others, advocating for justice and reform and different things to keep our city safe,” Click-Bruce said. “So now it’s our job to do this not only for our young people, but also for our older people, older residents… it’s for everyone.” Keep everyone safe.

He agrees with state leaders to introduce a gun reform bill for violent offenders. This would create a legal mechanism to ensure that repeat violent gun crime offenders who have violated the conditions of their release can be detained until trial.

Kayleigh Thomas is a digital journalist who has been part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on @kayleighcthomas and check out his bio to see more of his work.