The murders of a young mother, her tiny son, and two young men on Woolson Street was a crime of unspeakable violence. We’re here today because of that kind of violence will not go unanswered in our city. We’re here because we don’t respond to callous brutality in kind: we respond with careful, methodical, deliberate police work.

I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of Assistant District Attorney Edmond Zabin, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Buckley, Lt. Det. Greg Long, and the Boston Police Homicide Unit.

I should also note in particular the contributions of Sgt. Dets. John Brown, Richard Daley, Paul McLaughlin, and Marc Sullivan, and their squads, particularly Detectives Frank McLaughlin and Paul Donlon.

The BPD Fugitive Apprehension Unit led by Sgt. Brian Albert has literally not stopped moving since receiving their assignment. Likewise, we wouldn’t be here today without the work of BPD Crime Scene Services, Forensic Services, and the uniformed officers of District B-3, and the arrest of Kimani Washington is a testament to their professionalism.

We should also note the contributions of US Marshals and local authorities in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Washington is being held as a fugitive from justice. We’ve already begun the legal process of returning him to Massachusetts.

I would also like to thank Mayor Menino, who from the outset made this investigation a priority for the Police Department and other city agencies. There’s always tremendous pressure to make an arrest in a case like this, but he recognized that the men and women on the ground needed the time and resources to do their jobs to the very best of their ability.

We’ve reached a critical stage in this investigation. This arrest by no means reflects the end of our efforts. That won’t come until murder charges are filed, the evidence is aired, and a verdict is returned in a Suffolk County courtroom.

But to reach that point, we still need help. We need from the public the statements and testimony that juries demand. The word “verdict” comes from the Latin phrase “to speak the truth,” and we need that truth from every person with any information on these unforgivable crimes. We can’t afford to grow complacent with this, and we need our partners in the media to spread the word that every single witness is crucial to our case.

I also want to take a moment to address the mothers and fathers out there. I want to speak to the uncles, aunts, and older siblings.

If there was ever a moment to consider the tragic toll of gun violence in Boston, and the part that every role model has in ending it, that time is now. We have to strip guns of their glamour. We have to change the idea that a young person must carry a gun to earn respect. Our response can’t end with outrage – if four deaths and the critical injury of a fifth victim are to mean anything, we have to end this terrible cycle of violence.