Concerned about gun violence

As I sit here writing this letter to the editor of the Southeast Missourian newspaper, I'm deeply troubled by the fact that gun violence continues to happen in the community of Cape Girardeau.

As a survivor of domestic and firearms violence, I am disheartened with this occurrence. This continues to tear apart families friends and communities in which we live in. We must do our part to ensure that we end this pandemic of senseless gun violence.

As a concerned citizen and student at Southeast Missouri State University, I am somewhat afraid of going to school. We need to make our community safe, and we must hold people accountable for their actions and do better to protect our children from any hurt, harm or danger. And we need to do our part to have these hard discussions with city officials and those who are supposed to provide protection to us daily.

LESLIE WASHINGTON, Cape Girardeau