KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Gun violence in Kansas City continues to rip families apart.

The city saw three homicides in a 24-hour span at the start of this week. That brings the city's total to 73 homicides for the year.

Over the weekend, Ki'essence Pelton was shot and killed while riding in a car near 39th Street and Myrtle Avenue. The next day, her cousin, Charles Pelton, was shot dead in the parking lot of a church off 103rd Street.

Their family is tired of violent crimes like these.

The subject came up at Tuesday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting, too, where Mayor Sly James had strong words for state lawmakers.

“We won't have anything on this until the state pulls its head out of its ass,” James said.

James was referring to current state gun laws. which he believes allow too many firearms into the city.

“We're going to continue to lead the nation -- Kansas City and St. Louis -- in homicides until the state realizes there is a correlation between the lax or nonexistent gun laws in this state and people being injured by guns,” James said.

Congressman from St. Louis says it's time to give cities ability to pass gun control measures Democratic U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay is introducing a bill aimed at reducing gun violence in urban areas like his hometown of St. Louis, but it faces a difficult path to becoming law with a Republican-led Senate and White House.

The Pelton family says gun laws are only the start to preventing other families from losing their loved ones.

Of the city's 73 homicides, 68 involved some sort of firearm.