A Modicum of Justice as Jury Delivers Guilty Verdicts for Killers of Ahmaud Arbery
Dangerous, Deadly, and Racist Stand Your Ground Laws Must Be Overturned Nationwide to Prevent Further Tragedy
WASHINGTON, DC — A jury today found all three defendants charged with shooting and killing Ahmaud Arbery guilty. Last year, Arbery—an unarmed Black man—was fatally shot while out jogging after being pursued by three white men. The following is a statement from the executives of Giffords and Giffords Law Center:
Peter Ambler and Robyn Thomas:
“Ahmaud Arbery should still be alive today. While today’s conviction brings some level of justice, the racist laws that promoted the sort of vigilante actions by Arbery’s murderers remain on the books in far too many states.
Extreme Stand Your Ground laws like the one in Georgia give armed individuals a license to kill and disproportionately impact Black and Brown Americans. Arbery’s killers chased him down and shot him, believing they were taking the law into their own hands. These dangerous laws, backed by the NRA and the gun lobby, only perpetuate violence and systemic racism.
True justice for Ahmaud Arbery isn’t just putting away his killers—it’s preventing this from happening again. It requires the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws in all 27 states that have them. And it means confronting the rising spectre of armed vigilante violence that threatens public safety nationwide. ”
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