Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) claimed during Wednesday’s MSNBC debate that he has heard shots fired in his Newark neighborhood at night.

“What’s even worse is I hear gunshots in my neighborhood,” Booker said. “I think I’m the only one, I hope I am the only one on this panel here that had seven people shot in their neighborhood just last week.”

Booker was the mayor of Newark from 2006–2013.

Throughout his debate, Booker repeatedly focused on his ties to his Newark neighborhood.

“I will tell you this,” he said. “I live in a low-income black and brown community; I see every day that this economy is not working for average Americans.”

Booker also mentioned his time in the inner city at the beginning of the debate.

“When I got out of law school I moved into the inner city of Newark to fight as a tenant lawyer for other people’s rights,” he said.