Hi John,

Four years ago today, Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black man, was pulled over in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota while driving with his partner and her 4-year-old daughter.

Castile had a legal concealed carry permit and warned the officer who asked for his license and registration that he had a firearm. The mention of a gun was enough to cause the officer to fire seven shots at point-blank range into the car. Five of those shots hit Castile. He died minutes later with the legal firearm untouched in his pocket.

The officer who killed Castile was found not guilty of manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. His lawyers argued that the mere presence of a firearm, even one legally carried and untouched, was enough to justify the killing of a Black man in America.

The murder of Philando Castile is a harrowing example of the epidemic of police violence and its disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous and people of color. Every year, police in the U.S. shoot and kill around 1,000 people and Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white Americans.

So today, we remember Philando Castile and the countless others who suffered a similar fate. We reaffirm our commitment to fighting for justice and working to end gun violence in all its forms—including police violence.

Thank you for doing this hard work with us.
Renée