Original subtitles

My name is Oliver Queen.

After five years in hell,

I returned home with only one goal, to save my city.

Today, I fight that war on two fronts.

By day, I lead Star City as its mayor.

But by night, I'm someone else.

I am something else.

I am the Green Arrow.

Previously on Arrow...

- You want to help? - Yeah.

- Stay off the streets. - It's my city, too.

I came here to work with the guy who killed Damien Darhk.

- So, you ex-Navy, right? - Dishonorably discharged.

- Reason? - Because I screwed up. Again.

That's my life, man.

I'm wearing this suit again because I think it's a path to redemption.

And it could be for you, too.

Look, finding a new Black Canary isn't just about reviewing resumes.

Tina Boland, formerly of the CCPD.

She's a kickass woman who appears out of nowhere

and saves crime victims.

She even has a cry.

Our Tina is trying to avenge her former partner.

How do you keep living with so much pain?

I can tell you it helps to not be alone.

My real name is Dinah. Dinah Drake.

I've got something!

Well, not "something" something, but something.

That's good work.

Didn't know they taught bo staff at the Central City Police Academy.

They don't. My first undercover assignment

was with a street gang called the Pilgrims.

They liked to mess around with it.

- I'm gonna head home. - Yeah.

You found a place to stay already?

No, I'm, uh, just staying where you guys put me up.

HIVE? That's not a home. It's barely livable.

It's fine. I don't need much.

See you, man.

What've you guys got?

Well, I have been working on a location for Claybourne's mistress.

Prometheus' mother, we find her...

We find the name for this son of a bitch.

Unfortunately, the son of a bitch's father went dark

after he met with the pointy head of an arrow four years ago,

and Mommy went off the grid.

- Why would she do that? - Probably because she knows

that he turned into a serial-killing psychopath nutjob.

Point being, I have been looking for her for the past three months,

but whatever witness protection program she put herself into, it is damn good.

- What changed in three months? - I've had a breakthrough.

I've narrowed her new home down to Illinois.

L just need a couple more days to narrow that down into an address.

- That's fantastic work. - Thank you.

Curtis is coming in, he's gonna help with the search.

It's really nice to have you back.

Well, I could say the same to you.

I mean, Hub City and Russia? You're really racking up those miles.

Lot to catch up on.

Yeah, like you and Susan Williams?

People talk, Ollie. And, uh, some people vomit a little.

Thea, you're kind of insulting someone that I'm getting pretty serious about.

Did I mention people vomit a little?

You don't like Susan because of how she does her job.

She's good at her job and she's a good person.

So, there.

Uh-huh.

Quentin!

Hey.

- Oh, so good to see you. - You, too.

God, I saw your interview with the dragon lady. You nailed it.

Uh, that's his girlfriend you're talking about there.

Yes. Uh, don't remind me.

What are you doing here?

Are you prosecuting him for something?

Actually, Quentin was just introducing us.

I'm the new Deputy Mayor's assistant.

I, uh, never should've left.

Well, uh, talking of leaving,

I got to get across town for an alderman meeting.

You need me to come with?

Nice try, but those regulatory forms are not gonna fill themselves out.

I'm just saying that maybe you could get Susan Williams to back off.

Bottom line, I'm not comfortable leveraging a personal relationship

for political gain.

The media's right, man. You're not much of a politician.

As it is, I'm not comfortable covering up the circumstances

behind the death of Detective Malone.

- So, maybe if Susan... - Mr. Mayor!

There's a shooter in the building.

We need to get you to a secure location.

LAURA". Rene Ramirez, you are a dead man.

Zoe's gonna totally kill you if you guys are late to the game.

What?

No way we'll be late, not the way I drive.

Ooh.

Ooh, okay.

Whoa, what do you think you're doing?

Stadium's in the Glades, babe.

In, like, the worst part of the worst part of town.

I brought it with me last time I took Zoe.

So, you're admitting you broke the rule?

Kind of what I do, babe.

The only reason I agreed to let you keep that thing in the house

was because you said we needed it for home protection.

- Right, but... - As in, stays in the home.

Now, hurry up. You guys are gonna be late.

I thought we were going as a family.

I have a headache.

Oh, yeah? You taking something stronger than Aspirin for the headache?

You got something you wanna say to me, Rene?

Guess I do.

Using again?

We cleared the building.

- Shooter isn't here. - Alert SCPD and ACU.

Drop a five-block net around City Hall. Let's get ambulances here immediately.

And has anyone seen my sister?

- Ollie. - Hey, are you all right? Are you okay?

You're gonna be okay.

Just catch that son of a bitch.

Yeah. Go on.

How many casualties?

There's five dead, 24 injured, and eight in critical condition.

Bastard was wearing Kevlar,

but I think one of my shots winged his shoulder with a nine-mil slug.

Might be a good idea to alert all emergency rooms.

- Do it. - What were you doing with a gun in here?

Judging by how I tagged the guy, I got to go with saving people's lives.

Your security detail said the shooter dropped his primary weapon.

- We need to get it before the police do. - I took care of it.

This is military-grade hardware.

AR-15 assault weapon. Fires 5.56 NATO rounds.

It's an M16. It's literally the same gun as an M16.

Seems like some of Tobias Church's ordnance got into the wrong hand.

Wronger hands. So...

Not necessarily. It's an AR-15. It's available on the open market.

In fact, it's the most popular gun in America.

Land of the free, home of the incredibly stupid.

We are not having this conversation now or ever, guys.

- Where are we with the gun? - Nowhere.

It hasn't been used in any prior crime.

Fingerprints. Shooter wasn't wearing gloves.

AFIS didn't kick back anything.

I don't think he's ever been in the system.

Or he was smart enough to have himself erased from it.

Security cameras.

He knew how to avoid them.

And before he opened fire, he upgraded to a ski mask.

That looks like a utility jumpsuit.

Forefather Repair, it went belly-up six years ago.

I ran through the employee list,

but I think our shooter just bought a uniform off the Internet.

So he could walk into City Hall.

This guy's real good at covering his tracks, whoever he is.

So, who is he?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's the guy. Run him through the system for me, would you?

Hey. This is where you've been.

Good thing I got a look at the shooter before he put his ski mask on.

I let that son of a bitch walk right past me.

Hey, you couldn't've known, hoss.

I've been police most of my adult life.

I should've been able to spot that guy 1,000 yards out.

Hey, don't go there, man, all right?

What happened wasn't your fault.

I heard you got a few shots off.

Yeah, and I would've put him down, too, if he wasn't wearing body armor.

Listen, weren't you dishonorably discharged?

Not for my aim, hoss.

My point is it's illegal for someone such as yourself to carry a firearm.

But it's pretty easy to buy one, though.

Wow.

Am I using again?

How could you even ask me something like that?

Actually, I've been working up the nerve to ask you for a while now.

Ever since I found this taped behind your dresser drawer.

You searched our bedroom?

Yeah, 'cause it looks like my wife's a freaking junkie!

I just...

I just don't get it.

We got out, Laura.

We got out of the Glades,

and here you are, bringing it back into our home.

You are the last person who can get on their high horse.

No matter what I've done, I've never done drugs

and I've never done it in our baby girl's home!

Screw you, Rene.

We're gonna be late for the game.

He'!-

Hey, sweetheart.

I'm sorry, Dada and Mommy were just talking.

You were fighting.

No, we're just talking loudly.

Daddy's just disappointed that Mommy's not coming with us to the game.

Go get your coat, honey. It's gonna be cold tonight.

I'm throwing this away.

When I get home, either there's no more drugs in this house

or there's no more you in this house.

Two of the victims who were in critical condition

just passed away on the table.

Who?

Kyle in Commerce, and Paula in Accounting.

Oh...

I need phone numbers for their next of kin.

I've already emailed them to you.

Look, you are gonna find whoever did this.

I know. I have to. Before he does it again.

What makes you so sure this isn't just a one-time thing?

If it was a one-time thing, he wouldn't have concealed his identity

and he wouldn't have fled the scene. He's...

Uh, Adrian?

What are you doing?

Can you talk some sense into him, please?

Mr. Mayor, Thea, meet my wife, Doris.

- Hi. - He's gonna get himself killed.

I'm tougher than I look, and I need to be in the office.

You need to be in bed, Adrian.

- You were shot. - I'm fine.

You look like you're about to pass out.

Hey, listen, come on, buddy. Take a seat, at least. Please.

What do we know?

We don't know much.

It was a single shooter. AR-15 assault rifle.

And it doesn't appear that I was his primary target

because he just blasted his way through City Hall.

If he wasn't going after you, then there's a larger agenda here.

AR-15's are the Bertinelli family's weapon of choice.

Over 90% of the hits they were involved in last year used them.

Why would the Bertinellis target City Hall?

Because your office oversees the Anti-Crime Unit.

And it is a softer target.

All right, we're gonna look into it under one condition.

You listen to your wife and you stay here. Let yourself get better.

Fair?

Fair.

Just stop this guy.

Whoever he is, he's not in the system.

What if instead of tracking him, we track the assault weapon?

Rifle. And Oliver took it. Said he was following up a lead.

There's no gun ownership database for me to go through, anyway.

Yeah, why wouldn't we want something like that?

So the government doesn't know our business, hoss.

Guys, can we please... Just not right now.

I don't have any problem with your right to bear arms,

so long as it doesn't conflict with my right to, you know, live.

Are you kidding me? Look at what we do, man.

Our whole life is violence.

I'm not talking about what we do to protect the city.

I'm talking about the fact that, as a black man,

I am three times more likely to be killed by a gun than you.

- He's got a point, Rene. - Seriously?

You were a cop, man.

And cops would kind of like it if there were less people out there with guns.

Not this cop.

I mean, people have a right to protect themselves.

Dinah Drake.

Hi.

You guys are really serious about this recruitment drive you got going, huh?

Dinah and I tried to get more information on the shooting out of ESU.

We struck out.

We started trying to track the shooter by using the gun,

but then we got a little distracted, again, with our gun control debate.

- Gun violence debate. - Here we go again.

- Guys, stop. - Actually, this could be cathartic,

in light of what's happened...

No, I mean, "Stop, I have something" stop.

What've you got?

- Wait. That... - That doesn't make sense.

This is the AR-15 assault rifle that was used in the attack on City Hall!

Which one of your guys did it?

You're crazy. None of my guys would...

Your guys used this exact weapon!

Yeah, but why would we shoot up the mayor's office?

The ACU.

We'd have to be crazier than you to go to war with Anti-Crime.

And if any of my guys went off the reservation like that, I'd know it.

And that man would be dead.

Now, are you gonna let me down, or shoot me?

Don't move!

L just did you a favor. One less criminal on the street.

Cold-blooded murder. You're the criminal!

I'm you. The only difference between us is I use a more efficient weapon.

Arrow?

- Go. - I've got the name of our shooter.

- Who is he? - Well, that's the thing.

He's a 44-year-old systems analyst with no criminal record.

He's absolutely nobody.

James Edlund. Husband and father of two daughters, ages nine and 11.

Until 16 months ago.

What happened 16 months ago?

Crosspoint Mall shooting.

Coming to you live at the mass shooting at Crosspoint Mall today.

Edlund lost his whole family.

Online, Edlund was a pretty vocal proponent of the SCGR.

- What's that? - It's the Star City Gun Registry.

The previous city leadership shot it down.

No pun intended.

So, City Hall doesn't pass a gun law,

this guy loses his whole family and then takes revenge.

Where is he now?

That's the thing. After the funeral, he quit his job

and his house is in foreclosure.

He's between the cracks now.

Well, I mean, he's somewhere.

Ollie, I can't hold them off any longer.

Okay. Quentin, we have to make a statement.

Share the Edlund information with the SCPD

and then we hit the streets and we find this guy!

- Eighteen people, by the way. - What?

The mall shooting. 18 people killed, 12 injured. One's a quadriplegic now.

Look, I know where you're going with this,

but the Feds had an assault weapons ban for years and it did nothing.

- Actually, it did... - Sorry, hoss,

but if the bad guys got guns, then I'm strapping up, too.

Go, go! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Go, go! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!

- Yeah! Did you have fun, peanut? - So awesome. Thanks, Daddy.

Of course.

Daddy?

Everything's fine, sweetheart. Um...

Go get your PJs on and get ready for bed. I'm gonna go check on Mommy, all right?

At this time, our thoughts and our prayers

are with the injured and the loved ones of the fallen.

This office is working tirelessly with the SCPD and the Anti-Crime Unit

to make sure that Mr. Edlund,

the perpetrator of this heinous act of violence,

is apprehended and swiftly brought to justice.

I will be taking questions now.

Do you have any comment on rumors that this shooting was in retaliation

for the preceding administration's failure to pass a gun control ordinance?

Mr. Edlund is a clearly disturbed individual,

but I can't comment on his motivations at this time.

What is your administration's position on the Star City Gun Registry?

That we will be looking into it further.

What's your administration's position on gun control?

Er...

We're gonna examine all sides of that.

What is your personal opinion?

That it's complicated.

Excuse me, Mr. Mayor, but seven of your staffers are dead

and others severely injured.

Don't you think you owe them a response beyond "it's complicated"?

I do, I owe it to them.

I don't owe it to any of you.

We're done here. Thank you.

Okay, well, that probably could have gone better.

- Vultures. All of them. - No, I appreciate that, Quentin,

but they're right. I don't know how to deal with this.

You are dealing with this. And Edlund, we will find...

And then what? He goes to jail.

Seven people that we lost are still dead.

My mission has always been to save this city,

and my first instinct has almost always been to use violence.

You didn't bring this on.

I know. I know.

It's a violent world and sometimes it only responds to violence,

but we cannot dismiss the idea that we are just feeding into a vicious cycle.

You ask me, this is a problem that the Green Arrow can't solve.

I mean, sure, you can find him, you probably will.

But this...

This is bigger than one nut-bar with a bag full of guns.

He's right.

The solution here is not with you as the Green Arrow,

it's with you as the mayor.

I just showed the entire city

that I don't know how to handle this as the mayor.

So you try again,

and if that doesn't work, damn it, you try again.

Nobody said being mayor of this city was ever gonna be easy, Oliver.

We need a list.

Every alderman, councilman and community leader

that was involved in the previous gun-control ordinance,

I want them in here, I want to meet with them today.

We're not gonna solve this right away.

Are you sure that you wanna open that can of worms?

L just mean that gun control is a big political third rail, so...

- Thea, come on. - Thea, I understand.

This shouldn't be about politics.

This should be about safety and security. Everyone's safety and security.

Whether they own a gun or not.

- Now, let's get to work. - Okay.

Councilwoman, thank you very much for meeting with me.

Well, from what I hear, you've been making the rounds.

Well...

For someone without a lot of political capital,

you're certainly making an interesting choice as to how to spend it.

I have seven dead staffers who wouldn't find it interesting at all.

And it's a terrible thing that happened here.

It is terrible.

- Police make any progress locating Edlund? - No, unfortunately.

But they're fairly confident that he targeted City Hall

because of our inability to enact the SCGR.

You implying I'm somehow responsible for what happened?

No. But, Councilwoman, you did kill the ordinance.

You really have been making the rounds.

Yes. I'm against any registry that gives the government

the opportunity to keep tabs on specific sectors of the population.

The DMV keeps a list of driver's licenses.

It's not a constitutional right to drive a car, Mr. Mayor.

You know, people such as yourself oppose limitations

on things like abortion, freedom of speech.

Why is the Second Amendment somehow less important in your eyes

than the other nine in the Bill of Rights?

Because people are dying, Councilwoman. Right here in this building!

And there are limitations on abortion and freedom of speech.

Both of my parents are dead.

My friend Tommy was...

He was one of the 503 killed in the Undertaking.

Laurel Lance was my friend.

Nobody respects the rights of someone to protect themselves

and the people that they care for, more than me.

But everything in life comes with limitations. Everything.

Why are you telling me this?

Because you and I are gonna sit in this office

until we figure out a reasonable set of limitations

that respects everyone's rights.

Are you hungry? Should I order something in?

We might be here a while.

- I don't know anything! I don't... - Get up! Get up!

I know you've seen this scumbag. He lives in this neighborhood!

I don't know everybody, dude! I don't!

Another dead end?

Let's just call it a long shot.

I'd be taking out my frustrations on these lowlifes at this point.

Yeah, it happens.

Let's call it a night, huh?

Get you back to your not-so-homey home.

Seriously, John, it's fine.

Then, I just don't know why you don't want better for yourself.

There was one place I kind of liked.

It's a studio apartment off Canal.

It had this nice little backyard garden.

I went to go fill out a lease application. I don't know.

But what?

Nothing. It's stupid.

It asked questions, okay? It asked questions about the last three years.

Jobs and residencies, that sort of thing.

Yeah, and I guess there was no box to check for "vendetta." Right?

- Yeah, not so much, no. - Yeah.

And it's not even just that. I...

You know, just forget it. It's so stupid.

Dinah, I work with Oliver Queen.

Please, try me.

Applying for an apartment is...

It's something normal people do.

I haven't had normal in a very long time.

I don't know who I'm supposed to be anymore.

I remember I felt that way the first time I was discharged from Special Services.

But, Dinah, I realized that I don't have to be anybody. I'm already me.

I guess I had to give myself permission to get back to that.

And how do you do that, exactly?

It starts with the little things.

Like a small studio apartment with a garden.

Yeah.

Let's get out of here.

You got something?

- Nothing but strikeouts. You? - Same.

Isn't Rene back yet?

Nope. Why?

You wanna go a couple more rounds at him?

Why don't you like us talking about this?

L just don't like you guys arguing while I'm trying to work.

Why not? There's nothing wrong with a little healthy debate, Felicity.

It's not healthy if it doesn't accomplish anything,

and it's not going to accomplish anything.

Actually, I disagree.

Not about the part of it not accomplishing anything,

but this idea that it's not healthy.

We used to talk about things as a society, you know.

We'd debate and we would argue

and we would still respect each other after.

Yeah. Somewhere along the line, that just became...

- Rude. - Rude. Yeah.

- It became impolitic to talk politics. - Hmm.

Can't help but wonder that maybe that's why

our country is the way it is today.

- Got something? - Maybe.

Name of a support group Edlund used to be a part of.

Maybe somebody there still knows how to get in contact with him.

Text Rene the address and have him meet me there.

Yeah.

I didn't care. It was just a necklace.

But, Steve, he got in front of the man and...

Every time I close my eyes, I see the gun.

Every time.

It gets better, Monica. We get better.

I'm afraid we're out of time for today, but get some coffee on the way out,

and I sprung for the good donuts this week.

Thank you.

Hey, man.

Name's Rene Ramirez, I work for the Deputy Mayor.

- This is my assistant. - In his dreams. Er...

I mean, yeah, kind of.

Can we ask you some questions about James Edlund?

Participation in this group is confidential.

You know what Edlund did?

I watched the mayor's press conference and I wish I could help,

but you have to understand, I take confidentiality seriously.

Sir, confidentiality doesn't apply when there's the possibility of future harm.

Hey, we just want to find this guy before anyone else gets hurt.

- Why aren't the police doing this? - Don't worry.

We'll make sure the information gets to the right people.

I heard he was staying with a friend.

Let me see if I can get you the address.

Felicity said you wanted me here.

Was it 'cause you wanted me to hear that woman's story?

No. But since you did...

Doesn't change how I feel, man.

Guns save lives. Period.

- You just want to think that. - No, that's what I know.

'Cause if I had my gun, my wife would still be alive.

Here you go. I don't know if it's still good.

Thank you.

I didn't even know you were married.

Not something I like to talk about. Let's call this in.

Let go! Let...

Get away...

Back off. Your bitch wife here owes me for her last high.

- Rene. - Yeah, okay. Okay, fine. How much?

Money's right there in the safe.

Let me hook you up.

- $500. - No problem.

- Zoe?

Zoe, get back in your room!

Daddy!

- Daddy! - Sweetheart, are you okay?

Are you all right? Are you okay? Huh?

Mommy!

It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay.

Clear.

But Edlund was here. Look.

This is his family.

Yo, check it out. Floor plan.

He planned out his attacks.

Yeah, but this, this doesn't match City Hail. This is...

Oh, damn.

I know what he's gonna hit next.

Lam still failing to understand why a simple registry would...

Okay, first of all, registries are never simple.

They're bureaucracies, tying up Second Amendment rights in red tape,

you know, and it's not just the owners who'll be affected.

It's the sellers who're gonna see a substantial decline in their businesses.

Well, I don't think that it's unre...

Excuse me.

- Yeah. - Rene and Curtis found Edlund's crib

and a plan to shoot up Starling General.

Assemble the team, tell Lance to bring in the ACU. I'm on my way.

I have to go.

- I thought we're staying till we're done. - I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go.

We're in position. Northeast corner.

I'm on the southwest.

Overwatch?

No sign of the bastard.

But remember, he's good at avoiding security cameras.

Hey, don't! Don't! Get out of here. Go, go.

Mommy.

- Don't do this. - Get back.

You had another chance to shoot me at City Hall.

You didn't do it.

Because you need me to enact the Star City Gun Registry.

I mean, that's what this is all about, right?

You wanna punish the city because we failed to protect your family.

But... Hey, hey!

Mr. Edlund...

I... I checked.

The man who killed your family,

he acquired those guns illegally.

There's nothing that we could've done. No... No...

No registry would've helped us protect them.

I know.

I was supposed to protect them.

Isn't that a man's job? To protect his family?

Isn't that why we have guns?

My wife and daughters were innocent.

- I can understand why you're angry. - We're all angry!

We're all so angry all the time.

So, why shouldn't I use this?

Why shouldn't I kill everyone? Put us all out of our damn misery!

Mr. Edlund, that's not your call to make.

Yeah, I mean, people are angry and we're hurting and we're lashing out

and I can understand that it feels like it's getting worse every day,

but what you're doing is not the answer!

The people that you hurt,

the seven people that are dead,

my friend, they were innocent, too.

You're right.

And I deserve to be punished.

Hey, hey, hey. Look, James,

you got to think about your wife and your daughters.

Lam thinking about them.

I know that you want this pain to go away,

and I know that you wanna be with your family again,

but if you want them to live on,

it has to be through you.

That's the only way.

James, give me the gun.

Please.

When you ran out on me last night, you neglected to mention

that it was to go help people at a hospital.

I'm forgetful that way.

Shooter in custody?

DA Chase says that he is gonna plead guilty to everything.

Councilwoman Pollard, this is Rene Ramirez.

He works very closely with Deputy Mayor Lance,

and he is a very, very vocal proponent of gun ownership rights.

Freedom isn't free. Not even the freedom to bear arms.

So, Mr. Ramirez and I got together and came up with this.

What is this?

Citywide gun control ordinances.

Nothing that makes it harder to buy or own or carry a gun.

It also doesn't prohibit people from protecting themselves from gun violence.

Okay, I'm gonna back you on this. If for no other reason

than the optics of fighting this after what happened are lousy.

There are other reasons, too, Councilwoman.

But I wanna be perfectly clear about something.

Not today, not tomorrow, but eventually,

I'm going to extract a political prize for this.

You can count on that.

Sounds like a yes.

I can live with what you got here.

Good, because living is the whole point.

Just listen...

I messed up, I know that, but Zoe already lost her mother.

"Unsafe environment"? What's that even mean?

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I, um...

Ma'am, I can get counseling.

L just wanna see my daughter.

Please, I just wanna see her.

Ma'am, ma'am, please don't do that. Don't hang up the phone on me.

Ma'am, please. Hello? Hello?

Son of a bitch!

Damien Darhk, the man behind tonight's siege of Star City,

was killed by the masked vigilante known as the Green Arrow.

Amateur cell phone video captured this very moment,

putting an end to the chaos that has gripped the city.

Before Darhk was killed,

the citizens of Star City demonstrated there is strength in numbers,

as they fought against their attackers alongside the Green Arrow,

leading Darhk's allies to retreat.

Oh, yo. Can I talk to you for a second?

Yeah. What's up?

I just wanted to apologize for getting in your face earlier about guns and stuff.

Hoss, do I seem like I can't handle tough talk?

No, but I didn't know about your wife and your daughter.

I may have done a little googling.

I don't like to talk about it, man.

I mean, Zoe's in a foster home.

A good one, it looks like.

CPS is right. She shouldn't be anywhere near me.

I don't agree with that, Rene,

and I have a lawyer friend who doesn't, either.

How about we get your daughter back?

Hey. Just checking on you.

You, uh, going somewhere?

A studio apartment with a garden.

You applied for the lease.

I got the lease.

Yes. Small steps, huh?

Well, the apartment is not the only thing I applied for.

- Hmm. - You're looking at the latest recruit

into the SCPD.

- Congratulations, Detective Drake. - Thank you.

Well, you did it. I just gave you a little push.

Well, uh, I needed the push. So, thank you.

Congrats.

Thank you, all, for being here.

In light of what's happened, I thought it important

that we gather as a city and remember those that we've lost.

After everything that Star City has endured in the past several years,

it would be easy to become immune

or desensitized to the violence that pervades our lives.

And it would be human to want to respond to that violence with violence.

When I think of all the people that I've lost,

I remember the choices that I was forced to make in light of those tragedies.

Some choices were easy.

But the important choices, the choices that were worth making,

they were hard.

And hard choices require bravery.

Fortunately, we live in the home of the brave.

We don't run from hard choices.

We rise up and we face tomorrow together.

This afternoon, Councilwoman Pollard and I

met with the city council to pass the Star City Firearms Freedom Act,

a policy that respects our freedom

and our lives.

It shows that we can do both.

And now we just have to be brave enough to do it.