NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The family of Tessa Majors, the Barnard student who was fatally stabbed in Morningside Park last week, are furious with Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins for suggesting the 18-year-old was seeking to buy marijuana when she was killed.
During an interview Sunday morning, Mullins used the rumors, unconfirmed by NYPD, that Majors was in the park to buy weed when she was slain, to critique how lax marijuana laws have become.
"And you think about that, we don't enforce marijuana laws anymore. We're basically hands-off on the enforcement of marijuana," Mullins said. "So here we have a student murdered by a 13-year-old and we have a common denominator of marijuana. You know, my question to the people of New York City is, 'Why is this happening?'"
Majors' family said in a statement, "The remarks by Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins we find deeply inappropriate, as they intentionally or unintentionally direct blame onto Tess, a young woman, for her own murder."The family asked Mullins to not "engage in such irresponsible public speculation, just as the NYPD asked our family not to comment as it conducts the investigation."
In their statement, the family also added that they are only interested in what happened to Majors and who killed her.The family went on to thank the "thousands of strangers" who have shared in their grief," adding that Tess would "not have been surprised by this beautiful reminder of our shared humanity."
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted on Sunday that Mullins' words were "heartless" and "infuriating," adding "we don't shame victims in this city."
A candlelight vigil was held in honor of Majors by Barnard and Columbia college students, elected officials, community leaders and others near the spot at West 116th Street and Morningside Drive where the 18-year-old was killed.
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