Mom of 13-year-old deadly shooting victim praises Boston’s new illegal gun trafficking ordinance

BOSTON — The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed nearly 11 months ago is praising a newly approved illegal gun trafficking ordinance in Boston.

The Boston City Council approved the measure Wednesday that will require police to dig deeper into the trafficking of illegal firearms in the city and provide a comprehensive annual report.

Remy Lawrence, whose son Tyler was shot five times in Mattapan in late January, believes it’s a crucial piece of the puzzle.

The middle school student was allegedly murdered by a 34-year-old convicted felon while walking near his grandparents’ house in broad daylight.

“In order to allow innocent children an opportunity to grow and have a life, we need to figure this out,” said Lawrence. “I worry for every child in the city of Boston.”

The tragedy that claimed the life of her son is one example of the recent violence that’s putting innocent children at risk in Boston.

A spray of gunfire in Dorchester in September that wounded five, including siblings 11-year-old Johan Howard and 15-year-old Juliana Howard, prompted police to publicly address an alarming uptick in the recovery of illegal firearms.

Boston Police recovered more than 900 guns in 2022.

The previous year, in 2021, of all the guns recovered at Boston crime scenes traced using a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives database, just 10% were purchased in the state.

The rest were brought into Massachusetts from 18 other states.

The ordinance will now require Boston Police to uncover and reveal details, like whether the gun was connected to a crime, where the gun originated, registration information, and whether or not it was made using a 3D printer.

“It will hopefully prevent another mother from standing here like I am, holding a poster of my son,” cried Lawrence. “With the holidays fast approaching, I find myself in a place of not even wanting to remember that it’s the holiday season.”

During a September hearing on the issue, BPD officials said they’re on track to recover 25% more guns tied to criminal activity this year and that most of them are stolen.

The newly approved ordinance will also require police to try to find out exactly how illegal guns are making it into the city, including information about gun trafficking on highways and over the water.

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