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HomeNewsArchivesFYI: Wesselhoft Recognizes Jason Carroll Memorial Day

FYI: Wesselhoft Recognizes Jason Carroll Memorial Day

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May 25, 2007 – Senator-at-Large Carmen Wesselhoft said she was working to get illegal firearms off of the street and out of the hands of young people.
"While we need to look at the root causes of violent crime there is no question that there are thousands of illegal weapons circulating in this community and it is too easy for these guns to get into the hands of young people," Wesselhoft said. "I have drafted legislation that will allow for an amnesty period followed by much stiffer penalties for possessing illegal firearms. I am taking it one step further by going after the source of these firearms. Those found in possession will face many years in jail unless they are willing to tell the police where they got their guns."
Wesselhoft, who chairs the 27th Legislature's Committee on Public Safety, Homeland Security and Justice, said this was a different approach.
"Guns are not manufactured here — someone is making a lot of money bringing these guns into the Virgin Islands," she said. "But it is blood money and it is long past time we shift the focus on to the criminals bringing in the weapons."
Wesselhoft joined the Governor in recognizing May 23, as Jason Carroll Memorial Day. Seven years ago, Celia and James Carroll lost their 19-year-old son, Jason, in a downtown shooting. Since that tragic loss, his family has fought against gun violence.
On Sunday, Wesselhoft took part in the fourth annual Walk/Run Against Gun violence on St. Thomas.
The Carroll family asked the community to come together to pray in a noon ceremony today in Emancipation Garden and requested that churches throughout the island ring a bell at noon for each of the 42 victims of gun violence who died last year.
Wesselhoft briefly interrupted her Committee meeting to call for a moment of silence in recognition of Jason Carroll Memorial Day and all those that have lost their lives to gun violence.
"As a mother and a Virgin Islander it breaks my heart every time I hear about another shooting," she said.

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