Mike Levin: “I want to bring an inspiring young woman from my home State of Michigan to the attention of my colleagues. Her name is…”

“I want to bring an inspiring young woman from my home State of Michigan to the attention of my colleagues. Her name is Lakeshia Gallman. Lakeshia graduated from Martin Luther King High School in 2002 and currently attends Wayne State University. As many of my colleagues know, the Detroit area has been plagued by gun-related deaths of children over the last year. Lakeshia Gallman is no stranger to the terrible effects of this rising tide of gun violence on families and communities. She lost her 17-year-old cousin in a senseless act of gun violence 4 years ago. Since that incident, Lakeshia's commitment to reducing the occurrence of gun violence in Detroit has been exemplary. Lakeshia is active in the Detroit Neighborhood Service Organization's Youth Initiative Project, an organization dedicated to drug prevention and stopping youth violence. She has been a champion of gun safety initiatives in Detroit for over 3 1/2 years. Over the last year, Lakeshia has set up town hall meetings, and met with local and national elected officials, including me. She also helped distribute over 2,000 gun locks and has educated people about the harsh realities of gun violence. Lakeshia recently authored a column on the effects of gun violence in the Detroit Free Press. Like many Americans, Lakeshia Gallman understands that the black market and gun traffickers are two of the primary ways criminals get their hands on guns.”