Brooklyn residents call on elected officials to take action against gun violence

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Ruth Hippolyte says Christmas will never be the same for her family. 

“It is a nightmare. I just wish it would not be,” said Hyppolyte. 

In Jan., her brother Billy Jean Hippolyte was shot and killed. The 40-year-old father was gunned down in broad daylight. She says the gunman that took his life, took a piece of hers too. 

“Last year Billy, we were together Christmas. He walked through the door with a handful of presents. Now it is just silence. And it is just the silence and darkness of gun violence. It lives on. It is permanent,” said the grieving sister. 

Members of her Canarsie community refused to stay silent on gun violence.  

They braved the cold during the holiday weekend to stand in solidarity, opposing the Adams administration’s recent cuts to the city budget, including canceling Sunday service at public libraries. 

 Instead, organizers say, the city should be funding programs that help fight poverty, deter crime, and give young people something to do, so they can keep out of trouble.  

“To have young people to have places to go, where they can use their time productively, where they can learn skills to use productively out in the world,” said rally organizer Jibreel Jalloh. 

The rally follows a string of recent shootings in our area, some deadly. The gun violence continues despite the drop in overall crime in the five boroughs. 

“What we do is that there are too many illegal guns in our community. They have illegal guns. They come in here and they are shooting each other,” said community advocate Marie Delus. She lost her nephew Pierre Paul Jeanpaul Jr. to gun violence. 

The mayor previously said the budget cuts are needed as the city grapples with the ongoing migrant crisis and lack of federal funding from Washington. People here worry the cost-cutting will come at a high price. 

“It should not be one size fits all, we are supposed to be preparing for the holiday, but how can we celebrate knowing in we are living in a place where children can kill each other,” asked Canarsie’s councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse. 

PIX11 News contacted city hall for a comment but a spokesperson was not immediately available.