From the Office of the Mayor

Village of Royal Palm Beach Statement
Regarding June 10, 2021 Publix Shooting

June 11, 2021

As I speak to you today, the criminal investigation into what happened yesterday at the Publix supermarket is just beginning.  I will defer to the exceptional men and women at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to do the thorough and professional job we have come to expect from them concerning yesterday’s events.

Regardless of what their ultimate findings may be, we know already that what happened yesterday is both too tragic, and too familiar.

Our hearts ache with the victims’ family.  We share their pain.  We share their anger.  

And there is a small part of our gut that is gripped by the realization that we shop at that Publix.  We know that shopping center.  We pass that street corner.

We’ve become numb to watching video of first responders in some far away community doing what most of us could never do:  run towards danger.

But it was gut-wrenching to see the danger was in our community…that the brave members of law enforcement and fire-rescue were our people…The same people that protect us and our families every day.

On behalf of all the residents of Royal Palm Beach, I want to thank the men and women of both the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for demonstrating in real-time why our decision to entrust our safety in their hands is well placed.

Seeing what appeared to be an endless flow of responders and resources to our community will perhaps give us a small amount of comfort at a time when our sense of safety is being tested.

Regardless of what the final police report may say, we already know that yesterday’s events are another example of someone’s deranged actions leading to a deadly and tragic outcome.  

The question is could this have been prevented?  

I don’t have the answer to that question.  However, what I do know is that in a society where access to a gun - whether legal or illegal – is so easy, we all have a shared responsibility. If we choose to allow such easy access, then we must take on the responsibility to sound an alarm if we suspect someone with that access is in crisis.  

“See something, Say something” is no longer enough.

Its overuse has diluted its impact. Instead, we must fine-tune our vigilance to prevent events like yesterday.

It must now be about if you “See something SUSPICIOUS, say something SPECIFIC.”

I do not know the first thing about yesterday’s gunman.  However, what I do know is that in order for ANYONE to do such a horrific senseless act they are in crisis.  And, those closest to someone like that have a responsibility to us all to put the pieces together and sound the alarm.  

How many tragedies do we need to see before it sinks in that mental instability and easy access to a gun – whether legal or illegal – is what leads to events like yesterday?

If you see something suspicious, say something specific!  

Let yesterday be a call to all of us that we must do a better job as a society.  The rest of the world will quickly forget what happened yesterday.  But we are the ones who live here.  We are the ones who shop in that Publix.  We are the ones who can do our part to make our community safer for everyone.

Again, on behalf of our entire community, I express our grief to the family of the victims.  Let us use yesterdays’ tragedy as a call to action.  You could be the person that prevents the next one.