The Missouri chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after reports that Kansas City police officers shot and wounded Leonna Hale, a 26-year-old Black woman who told officers she was pregnant last Friday. Details are still developing.
“This horrific shooting should not have happened – our hearts are with Leonna as she recovers from this terrible incident,” said Sonja Hitchcock, a volunteer with the Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We must do more to fight against police violence, which continues to disproportionately hurt Black Americans in our country. We are calling for a transparent investigation into this terrible incident.”
In an average year, over 1,000 people are shot and killed by police. With a rate of 9.9 deaths per 100,000 people, Missouri has the 5th-highest rate of fatal police shootings and gun homicides in the US. More information about gun violence in Missouri is available here.
