Yanely Henriquez stood in front of University Prep Charter School on St. Ann’s Avenue in the South Bronx wearing a long floral skirt, bright teal top, teal eyeliner and a jeweled pin.
But she was not there to celebrate the end of her daughter Angellyh Yambo’s sophomore year. Rather, she dressed in tribute to Angellyh, who was shot and killed while walking home from school on April 8, 2022.
A friend of Angellyh’s, 15-year-old Angelo Oswaldo Nuñez, agreed that she was known for her flamboyant style. “The makeup, the lashes. She always had some new look.”
Henriquez gathered with family, elected officials and University Prep students to announce new federal legislation called the Angellyh Yambo Gun Free Zone Expansion Act of 2023.
Yambo and two other teens were all caught in the crossfire of a 17-year-old with a “ghost gun,” the type of untraceable, non-serialized firearm that proliferated by almost 1000% between 2016 and 2021.
In the year-plus since Yambo’s death, her family has worked with elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres to craft stricter legislation that prohibits the purchase, possession, transfer and sale of ghost guns, while expanding Gun Free School Zones from 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet.
Expanding the gun law
The Gun-Free School Zones Act prohibited possession or discharge of firearms on and around school grounds was passed in 1990. But Yambo’s family realized it hadn’t been updated since then.
In 1990, it was unimaginable that a gun could be easily created at home. With the advent of 3D printers, Torres said at the press conference, anyone can go online and buy gun components that are untraceable.
“We’re living in a dangerous world where ghost guns can be mass-produced in the private homes of teenagers,” Torres said.
Torres introduced the new bill and explained that the proposed legislation expands upon current law. “In 2022, the president enacted and finalized a rule that would…
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