During their regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, the Sammamish City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for action to prevent future gun violence.

Resolution No.R2018-780 came in response to the recent tragic mass shooting in Parkland Florida, and the rise of mass shootings nationally.

“After the tragedy in Parkland, I immediately started hearing from community members of all ages and backgrounds that felt it was extremely important that the City Council make a strong statement about protecting our children from gun violence,” said Councilmember Pam Stuart. “I felt that it was necessary that the council hear our residents’ concerns and respond by passing this resolution.”

The resolution calls for the city of Sammamish to support efforts by local school districts to protect children from gun violence; to advocate for availability and funding for mental health services, substance abuse treatment programs, and increased resources for law enforcement; and for state and federal agencies to enact legislation to require comprehensive background checks for all firearms sales or transfers.

Stuart said that due to the frequency of school shootings, students are concerned for their safety every day they go to school.

“It’s enough, that shouldn’t be on the minds of kids,” she said. “Saying it’s a hard problem and doing nothing, that time has passed. We need to take the appropriate step to change the culture in this country and put public safety first. It was great to see the community come and be pretty clear in what they want.”

More than 100 citizens attended the council meeting where the discussion and vote on the resolution took place, with many citizens making public comment in support of continued efforts to keep Sammamish and its schools as safe as possible from gun violence.

“Most of the people who spoke were happy, but said it’s just a first step and doesn’t go far enough, I hope that message gets through to all levels of government,” Stuart said. “There were some very brave people who came and shared their stories.”

Sammamish Mayor Malchow and Councilmember Jason Ritchie signed on to support the resolution’s inclusion on the council agenda. The resolution passed in a unanimous 7-0 vote.

“In light of the recent tragic mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, the members of the City Council heard from many of our residents asking for us to take action. I felt it was important that we clearly state to our residents, neighbors, and state and local leaders that there is more that can be done to prevent future gun violence,” said Mayor Christie Malchow. “I am proud to be part of a City Council that was able to work together through our differences on the very contentious issue of gun control, and find common ground to take action to protect lives.”

The full text of resolution No.R2018-780 is available on the city’s website.

Reporter Evan Pappas contributed to this report.