“Hadiya’s heartbreaking story touched the hearts of so many, but as this trial ends the real work to end gun violence continues,” said Victoria Coy, gun violence campaigner at Amnesty International USA. “For every headline about a promising life cut short, there are thousands that go unnoticed. Our own research shows that many gun-related homicides in communities of color, including in Chicago, remain unsolved and unprosecuted, resulting in impunity for the perpetrators, and feeding the cycle of violence.
“Gun violence is a human rights crisis that has turned our streets and playgrounds and schools into killing grounds, and our leaders cannot allow it to continue. We need common sense rules to regulate the flow of firearms, and investment in communities to create programs to give young people opportunities to grow, create, and thrive. We can honor Hadiya’s life with a lasting legacy of a safer future for everybody.”