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Seattle council proclaims Amarr Murphy-Paine Day and marks Gun Violence Awareness Month as family urges action
Summary
The Seattle City Council presented a proclamation honoring Amarr Murphy-Paine and recognized Gun Violence Awareness Month; family members urged justice and called for city action, and councilmembers pledged continued focus on prevention and targeted interventions.
The Seattle City Council on June 2 presented a proclamation designating June 6 as Amarr Murphy-Paine Day and recognized Gun Violence Awareness Month, as family members and advocates urged the city to intensify efforts to curb youth gun violence.
Council President Joy Hollingsworth read the proclamation honoring Amarr Murphy-Paine’s life and calling for a renewed commitment to ending gun violence that targets young people. Hollingsworth said the council will host and promote community events and thanked Councilmember Rivera for raising awareness of the month.
Aron, a family member who accepted the proclamation, described Amarr’s love of music and sports and said the family has sought to “turn grief into service.” Aron said that formal recognition and community work are meaningful even as criminal justice outcomes remain unresolved: “There is still a murderer walking free,” he said, and urged the city to act to keep others safe.
Veronica Murphy, identified as Amarr’s grandmother, told the council she remains angry and grieving after her grandson was killed at Garfield High School. She said videos of the shooting circulated on social media and criticized perceived slow follow-up by detectives and police leadership: “I called detectives, I left messages; I never got the follow-up I needed,” she said.
Council members expressed condolences and said the proclamation and the month’s events aim to focus attention and resources. Councilmember Rivera and others noted an upcoming symposium on focused-deterrence approaches and asked city agencies, the mayor’s office and partner law-enforcement organizations to collaborate on prevention, intervention, and accountability steps.
The council escorted family members to a community remembrance event scheduled for June 6 and said staff will follow up with the family after the meeting. The proclamation and family remarks prompted applause in the chamber and reinforced calls from community speakers later in the meeting for additional prevention funding and faster investigatory follow-up.
The council also invited the family to a public event downstairs following the meeting; no formal policy action was taken at the meeting beyond the proclamation and related public scheduling.
