DETROIT – In light of the tragic shooting of seven teens at a Detroit bus stop, State Representative Gabe Leland (D-Detroit) today offered his deepest sympathies and
prayers to the victims and their families, and commended the community for coming together in the aftermath of this
tragedy.
"My heart goes out to the victims and their friends and families," Leland said. "These tragedies are devastating for
our community and the criminals need to be brought to justice. We need to all come together to support these teens and
continue working to make our streets safer."
Police continue to investigate the Tuesday afternoon shooting of seven victims at a bus stop near Warren Avenue and
Southfield Road. Five of the seven victims are students at Cody Ninth Grade Academy which is near where the shootings
occurred. Media reports indicated the students had just finished with summer school classes for the day, but that the
shooting did not take place on school property.
Leland said the shootings highlighted the need for more resources in order to prevent these type of tragedies, as
well as the funding for more school safety officers, counseling and other services that help students cope with
traumatic events.
Leland said that he expects the House will soon consider a bill he sponsored in February to provide grants to school
districts seeking to improve school safety and help students deal with trauma. Leland's plan would provide grants for
hiring and training school safety officers and mental health professionals in order to prevent school violence and
bullying.
"I can't imagine how difficult it's going to be for the young people harmed in this terrible shooting to deal with the trauma it has inflicted," Leland said. "Every child has the right to feel safe at school. I don't know how we can expect students to concentrate on their studies if they don't feel safe. These grants would help bring more resources to schools – not only to prevent school violence, but help students cope with such events if they occur."