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Clinton, Ridge other officials react to shootings
Thursday, March 02, 2000 From wire and local reports
Reaction to yesterday's shooting drew swift reactions from political leaders, including President Clinton, who pressed Congress to approve gun safety legislation before lawmakers take another recess.
After touring an Internet service company in suburban Virginia, Clinton said the shootings in Wilkinsburg underscored the fact that the nation's elected leaders have not done all they can to ensure that criminals and children cannot get handguns.
"We owe the families of the victims, the communities, our prayers and best wishes," Clinton said.
He noted that Congress has yet to act on gun legislation he submitted more than six months ago. That bill would, among other things, tighten regulations on handgun sales at gun shows and require that handguns be equipped with child safety locks.
An obviously shaken and somber Gov. Ridge yesterday called the shootings a "horrible, horrible unspeakable tragedy."
He said the killings, along with the shooting death on Tuesday of a 6-year-old Michigan girl by one of her classmates, underscored the need for the country to try to and figure out what influences such actions.
"What turned a routine maintenance effort into this horrible tragedy?" Ridge said.
Ridge, who was in Western Pennsylvania for the opening of a section of the Mon Valley Expressway, made his remarks outside of his Pittsburgh office in the State Office Building.
He said that he had spoken with Wilkinsburg Mayor Wilbert Young.
Ridge said that Wilkinsburg was made up of good, hard-working people and he was saddened by the media attention that would now be focused on the town.
County Executive Jim Roddey expressed his sympathy to the victims and their families.
"I commend the swift cooperative response of local emergency officials," Roddey said.
Mayor Murphy said that although the shooting did not occur in the city of Pittsburgh, it underscored the importance of having a strong community.
"My heart goes out to the families that were affected by this, those that were injured and those that were terrified by the potential of what could have happened to them.
"I think we ought to, as a community, we need to commit ourselves every day to work to build a strong community so individuals don't have the opportunity to do these tragic things."
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