Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak released the following statement on the incidents of violence over the past weekend:

“This past weekend, our community experienced several serious incidents of violence. There were two separate incidents of assault involving a knife that occurred during physical confrontations, one of which resulted in a tragic loss of life. There were also two separate incidents involving gunfire – one was between individuals on lower Church Street, and the other involved a reckless accidental discharge of a firearm. Thankfully, no one was injured in either of the gunfire incidents that we know of. My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone affected by these acts of violence. Everyone in our community should feel safe and secure – and be safe and secure.

These events are deeply upsetting, and when several serious incidents happen in a short period of time, it can understandably raise questions about whether we are seeing a broader change in crime and safety in Burlington.

Safety is the top priority of my administration. We had police officers assigned to our downtown area at the times of each of these incidents, and they were within minutes of being able to respond. These incidents point to larger work our community must do to interrupt conditions that lead people to act violently, while also addressing our state’s insufficient gun laws. My administration will continue to advocate for stronger gun laws that prohibit guns in places that serve alcohol and require stronger gun safety training and licensing for individuals.

Burlington continues to work to reduce violent crime and disorder, including by strategically deploying our officers, launching our Situation Table initiative to intervene with high-risk individuals before harm occurs, and using a “hot spots” strategy in 2024 and again in 2026 to address areas of high concentration of concerning behaviors.

There is more work to be done, and our data show overall violent crime continues to trend downward. As reported by our BPD, preliminary 2026 data show aggravated assaults are down significantly, and overall violent incidents are down compared with both 2025 and 2024. The BPD also continues expanding foot patrols and proactive enforcement efforts while rebuilding staffing.

I want to thank our police and fire departments for their excellent work in responding quickly to the scenes and providing exceptional care to the victims under stressful circumstances. BPD began prompt investigations of each of these incidents this weekend and is working to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

I know these incidents can leave us feeling worried, angry, and unsettled – particularly at a time when our community is engaged in difficult and fraught conversations about safety. Our City team is responding as it should by conducting strong police work to hold people accountable for acts of violence, while supporting victims. This is a time to unify around what we know makes communities safer – violence prevention work, including with youth, strengthening gun laws, and making sure members of our community’s basic needs are met.”