ST. LOUIS 鈥 In the wake of Monday鈥檚 deadly school shooting, the Board of Aldermen on Friday voted unanimously to urge state lawmakers to allow the city to enact tougher gun restrictions than those authorized under state law.
The resolution passed by the board also called on the Legislature to repeal its Second Amendment Preservation Act, which seeks to invalidate some federal gun laws in Missouri.
鈥淲e are all impacted by this unspeakable tragedy as well as the regular acts of violence that continue to terrorize and victimize our residents on a daily basis,鈥 said the resolution, sponsored by Alderman Cara Spencer, 20th Ward.
Spencer called the resolution 鈥渁 small gesture鈥 that also recognizes the lost lives of the teacher and student killed at the campus that houses two city high schools and heroism of police and others.
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Several aldermen had sharp criticism for state officials for Missouri鈥檚 permissive gun possession laws.
Acting board president Joe Vollmer said Gov. Mike Parson and much of the Legislature have shown 鈥渁 blatant disregard for the city of 狐狸视频.鈥
Vollmer contended that positions taken by the governor, including opposition to so-called red flag laws, kept police from having the ability to confiscate the rifle that the shooter used.
鈥淭o walk around and see all these shootings going on, it鈥檚 unreal, unreal,鈥 he said.
Vollmer represents the 10th Ward, where Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience 鈥 the scene of the shooting 鈥 share a campus.
Red flag proposals are aimed at keeping guns away from people who may pose a threat to themselves or others. Parson has said that the state should instead invest more in mental health.
Alderman Sharon Tyus, 1st Ward, said state officials from rural areas don鈥檛 understand the problems facing Missouri鈥檚 big cities. 鈥淢aybe assault rifles are OK where you live but they are not OK here,鈥 Tyus said.
Resolution co-sponsor Shameem Clark Hubbard of the 26th Ward, whose 16-year-old daughter attends one of the schools, said the incident 鈥渨as just a surreal moment that we are still living and our children are still living.鈥
She also said 鈥渕y daughter鈥檚 whispers sounded like screams on the phone.鈥
Earlier in the videoconference meeting, the board observed a moment of silence regarding Monday鈥檚 attack.
The board鈥檚 weekly opening prayer was delivered by Manfret McGhee, a Baptist pastor who also is a faculty member at Central. Vollmer noted that McGhee鈥檚 son, a student at the school, was wounded in the attack.