VIDEO: Mom of alleged MS-13 victim delivers emotional testimony

CENTRAL ISLIP, Long Island (WABC) -- The mother of an alleged MS-13 victim delivered emotional testimony at a congressional hearing on Long Island, saying "We cannot let our kids be afraid to go to school, because this is where it originates."

"They're kids killing kids... that needs to be stopped," Evelyn Rodriguez told a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

Community members impacted by gangs also testified, as well as members of the FBI, Homeland Security, Nassau and Suffolk police departments, and the Suffolk County sheriff.

Since January 2016, there have been 17 murders in Suffolk County linked to MS-13, which is tied to El Salvador. There have been more than 220 arrests related to MS-13 since September.

Read the full story about the congressional hearing here.