“I ask all New Haven residents to imagine the anguish felt today by the family of the 8-year-old, innocent victim of last night’s reckless shooting, and recommit themselves to the efforts of city officials, civic leaders and the faith community to curb gun violence,” Mayor Toni Harp said the next day. “No family should find itself in the crosshairs of the artificial bravado guns promote among some people; we’ve made strides in New Haven these years to reduce violent crime, but clearly a stubborn gun culture persists.”