Monday, January 23, 2023 - "The board and staff of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston today join with others across the nation and the world offering our deepest condolences to all those affected by the tragic mass shooting in Monterey Park, California late Saturday night. While the investigation by authorities is still ongoing, this much is clear: at least five women and five men have lost their lives, and many more are injured, in an incident that took place during Lunar New Year celebrations in a predominantly Asian community in LA County."

"This despicable act represents the 33rd mass shooting in the United States since just the beginning of 2023, according to gunviolencearchive.org, which defines a mass shooting as any shooting at which four or more people are shot. Such an appalling statistic draws attention to the desperate need to reduce the availability of firearms in the United States, and to limit who can own or carry a gun, where, and when. The failure of policymakers to do so only perpetuates a culture in which the right to own and carry a firearm is considered more important than the need to save lives. Here in Massachusetts, a state with one of the lowest rates of gun violence in America, we must defend existing policies against efforts to undermine them in the courts."

"This weekend’s violent acts remind us that there has been a wave of attacks against members of the Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in recent years. Those of us whose careers are spent in public service must draw attention to this fact, take all steps to counteract it, and establish deeper understanding and allyship among Americans of all racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. It is only by standing together to craft the public policies that can keep our communities safe that we will build a world where all people have an equal ability to be safe, thrive, raise families, and navigate daily life without fear of violence or death at the end of a barrel of a gun."

Adam Chapdelaine, President

Marc D. Draisen, Executive Director      

Elizabeth Weyant, Deputy Executive Director for Public Affairs & Advocacy                               

Katherine Antos, Deputy Executive Director for Planning & Sustainability