Kenyatta offers scathing statement regarding removal of gun violence victims memorial
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta May 5, 2025 | 4:21 PM
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta today rebuked the removal of the Faces of Gun Violence memorial located at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by the U.S. Department of Justice with the following statement:
“When you walk into my district office you will see the walls are lined with stunning portraits of souls we lost to the crisis of gun violence. It’s a daily reminder of why I do this work.
“Trump’s gutless decision to tear down a memorial honoring students who were murdered in school shootings isn’t just offensive -- it’s obscene -- it’s f***ing disgusting.
“It sends one chilling, unmistakable message to grieving families: Republicans don’t want to prevent future tragedies. They don’t want to talk about common-sense gun laws. And worst of all—they don’t want to hear from the people whose lives have been shattered by their cowardice.
“They want us to forget the children who never made it to graduation, forget the teachers who died protecting their students, forget the empty chairs, the unopened birthday gifts, the lives stolen by bullets that never should’ve been fired.
“They’ll wrap themselves in the Second Amendment while cheering on a president who tramples every other right Americans hold dear. The hypocrisy is as staggering as it is dangerous.
“Here in Pennsylvania, House Democrats have done the work. I’ve worked with colleagues to pass real, life-saving gun safety bills. But the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to even bring them up for a vote. They’d rather protect the gun lobby than protect our kids.
“I’m not backing down. I will continue to fight like hell against gun violence—and I stand with every parent, sibling, friend, and survivor who refuses to let their loved ones be erased.”