New York Governor Andrew Cuomo honored the firefighters killed on Christmas Eve in Webster during his State of the State address on Wednesday.

Cuomo presented New York State flags to the families Lt. Mike Chiapperini, 43, and Tomasz Kaczowka, 19. The West Webster volunteer firefighters were shot and killed when they arrived on the scene to fight a fire on Christmas Eve.  

Chiapperini’s wife, mother and son were joined on the stage by Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering. Kaczowka’s parents were joined by West Webster’s Fire Chief. Rochester Police Chief Jim Sheppard also addressed the lawmakers at the State of the State address.

He made reference to the violence that took the lives of the West Webster firefighters, as well as gun violence that has taken lives in Rochester and many other cities across the country.

Sheppard called on New York to lead the nation in finding ways of reducing gun violence.