Zeneta Everhart pushing to establish gun violence prevention office in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Common Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart is pushing for the City of Buffalo to establish a gun violence prevention office in order to combat gun violence at the local level.

The initiative is aimed to provide support for families that have been impacted by gun violence, implement evidence-based interventions, encourage community engagement and work with local law enforcement to address illegal gun trafficking in the city.

The initiative is in response to several incidents of gun violence in Buffalo in recent months and years, including the Tops mass shooting on May 14, 2022, a 14-year-old killed when she was among six teens shot on Jefferson Avenue this past May, and the death of a three-year-old on Domedion Avenue last month.

The Biden Administration created an Office of Gun Violence Prevention as a way to get guns off the street and protect families. Everhart, who stood alongside anti-violence groups and lawmakers on Monday, wants to bring that same concept to Buffalo.

“Offices like this are already established across the country because of what happened on 5/14. We don’t have one, which is ridiculous,” Everhart said in a news conference on Monday. “This isn’t about law enforcement. This office is about making sure that if someone is shot on the street, their mother can get counseling so she’s not stressed out and not sleeping in the middle of the night. I know what that feels like.”

Everhart’s son, Zaire Goodman, was injured in the Tops mass shooting, but recovered.

There were three separate shootings within the city over this past weekend that left five people hurt.

“We have to protect our community. Not just from mass shootings, we have to protect our community from everyday shootings,” Everhart said.

In June, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence to be a public health crisis, driven by fast-growing numbers of injuries and deaths involving firearms across the country. Since last September, the U.S. Office of Justice has allocated $100 million to support gun violence prevention in cities across the country. Multiple large cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Washington and New Orleans have established local offices to prevent gun violence.

“We don’t have the resources to take care of some of the problems that erupt from somebody losing, getting their lives lost, or a loved one losing their life,” said Pastor James Giles of Buffalo Peacemakers. “We need an office dedicated to this.”

If the office is established, the city will work with the White House, the state, Erie County and state and local law enforcement to support families and implement gun violence prevention strategies.

Common Council President Chris Scanlon and Fillmore District Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski are also working on the resolution.

“She’s already made connections with Washington and she’s trying to leverage what she can to bring resources back home to change the City of Buffalo to make sure that it’s safer,” said Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski.

Everhart said the office would be funded by the federal government and would be located in City Hall. She wants the office to be up and running by the end of the year.

“I am tired, I’m exhausted,” Everhart said. “I’m tired of hearing people talking about gun violence, I’m tired of it, I really am. You can’t say it enough. Our community deserves better and it starts in government.”

The resolution requests that the mayor establishes the office by the end of the calendar year.

In a statement, Mayor Byron Brown said he supports the creation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention and looks forward to working with Everhart and the Buffalo Common Council to establish one in Buffalo.

“The work of my administration has contributed to a significant decrease in gun violence,” Brown said. “Through the work of various city departments and community partnerships, shooting incidents are down 28 percent, shooting victims are down 32 percent and shooting homicides are down 58 percent in 2023 versus 2022. We are committed to doing more and we are always looking for additional ways to make our city safer and improve the quality of life.”

He also mentioned the city’s implementation of law enforcement intervention strategies, such as the Micro Hot Spot Crime Reduction Strategy, the GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) Program, hiring additional police officers and more.

You can view Monday’s news conference in the media player below.

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here .

Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here .