In response to a Saturday shooting in the heart of New York City in broad daylight, which left two women and a child injured, New York City Republican mayoral candidate Fernando Mateo blamed “radical left Democrats” for the uptick in crime and offered a cash reward for information regarding the perpetrator’s whereabouts.

In an exclusive statement made to Breitbart News on Monday, Mateo called for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) dismissal.

“De Blasio Must Go!” the statement began, before calling for action.

“While we hope for the best outcome of the women and child shot in Times Square, we must take action now to silence the guns ravaging New York City,” said Mateo.

Attributing the lack of safety to recently implemented bail reform laws, Mateo highlighted the need to support the police.

“The unsafe situation is a product of the broken bail reform system that lets violent criminals roam the streets like wild animals,” he said. “Our cops need backup from a Mayor Mateo administration that believes in them and will get hands-on to solve the gun violence problem menacing New Yorkers and tourists.” 

Mateo then proposed his plans if elected mayor.

“As Mayor, I will get rid of this 1993 climate where guns and drugs dominated Times Square. Innovative solutions like “Toys for Guns” will be used again to silence illegal guns,” Mateo said.

“Toys for Guns” was a disarmament program in New York City started by Mateo in 1993 which aimed to get thousands of guns off the city streets and make the city safer.

“I will make New York City safe by attacking crime, deploying thousands of cops to take back our streets, and urging both judges and prosecutors to keep criminals in jail where they belong,” he emphasized.

Calling for an end to de Blasio’s “era,” Mateo blamed “radical left Democrats” for the lack of safety in the Big Apple.

“We must end the de Blasio era which brought back the crime wave of the late 1980’s,” said Mateo. “The radical left Democrats made New York City dangerous again! As Mayor, I will get these illegal guns off the street, repeal the failed bail reforms, and bring back the mandatory 10-year sentencing for gun related crimes. It’s time to get New York strong!” Mateo concluded.

Later on Monday, Mateo announced a $5,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the prime suspect in the shooting.

The announcement was part of Mateo’s new initiative “Silence the Guns” intended to compliment Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards of up to $2,500 for anonymous information provided to its hotline that leads to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon. 

Last month, Mateo blasted Democrats for having “destroyed” New York City, claiming public safety was his top priority.

“I will make sure my priorities are making our streets safe,” he told Breitbart News. “Public safety to me is the first and most important agenda of the day because without public safety, there is no city.” 

Three people — two women and a four-year-old girl — were wounded in Times Square on Saturday night as shootings in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) New York City surged 83 percent.

The Daily Mail noted the four-year-old “was struck in the leg, a 24-year-old woman was hit in her thigh and a 44-year-old woman was shot in the foot.”

During the frantic moments following the shooting, dramatic video captured a New York City police officer running through Times Square with the injured 4-year-old.

Subsequently, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) released video of a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting:

Statistics released earlier this week by the NYPD show the city saw shootings increase by 166% in April 2021. In the same time frame, overall crime rose by 30%.

In April, Breitbart News revealed that Mayor de Blasio’s New York City saw 46 shooting incidents over a seven-day timeframe. The incidents left behind 50 shooting victims.

New York adopted a large number of gun control measures in 2013 under the auspices of the SAFE Act. 

Those controls include universal background checks, a ban on “high capacity” magazines and “assault weapons,” firearm registration requirements, and ammunition registration.

The New York Government’s webpage notes the state also has a red flag law — which prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing any kind of firearm — which took effect in late August 2019.

Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.