It is not common for U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to reach out to an individual when his job is to take care of the nation as a whole. The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor who oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). His mission is to protect, promote, and advance the health of our nation.
U.S. Surgeon General reached out to Richmond Mayor
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy reached out to Mayor Levar Stoney to check on him after a violent week in Richmond, Virginia. Murthy knew the crimes are taking a toll on Stoney, especially after the shooting at Huguenot High School graduation where an 18-year-old graduate and his 36-year-old step-father were killed and five others were injured.
Mayor Stoney told Crime Insider Jon Burkett in an exclusive interview:
"[He] wanted to know if I was getting counseling. I told him I'm good. I'm more worried about the kids. Those at the graduation, the kids, the faculty, and the parents. That's who I'm mostly worried about."
Mayor Stoney was referring to this week's deadly mass Graduation Day shooting outside the Altria Theater in Richmond.
The mayor added:
"It's unfathomable that someone would go into a crowd of high school kids, graduates, children, and open fire. I think just not about the trauma of the family losing a graduate and a stepfather, but also all the trauma inflicted on kids that were there."
The violent week
There were several violent acts this week in Richmond, Virginia that left 12 people shot over a 72-hour span. Mayor Stoney believes there is one consistent factor in the crimes plaguing the city he serves. He says there are just too many guns in the city, and those guns are in the hands of the wrong people.
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