On February 14th, there was a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. There were 17 people killed, and 17 more wounded. The shooting was carried out by a 19-year-old former student, with an AR-15 assault rifle. This shooting was the 6th school shooting that resulted in injuries in 2018 alone, and 10 more shootings that have resulted in injury or death have occurred in the month that has followed.
Since this horrific shooting has happened, the number of daily threats of school shootings reported has jumped from 11 to between 64 and 89 threats.
So what is being done since the occurrence of this shooting?
Many politicians, like Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and former-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, have called on Congress to enact stricter gun laws immediately and to not let this event end in inaction. The survivors themselves have come together under the slogan #NeverAgain to take on Washington and politicians who have their hands in the pockets of the NRA.
The students participated in protests for gun control and visited Florida's capital to speak with lawmakers, which proved to be a waste of time. The students have since planned the "March for Our Lives," which will take place in D.C. and other cities on March 24th.
Legislation-wise, there have been few changes in gun laws. Rick Scott, Florida's governor, signed a bill known as Senate Bill 7026 into law, which tightens gun control in some ways, like by raising the legal age of purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21 but, unfortunately, allows some teachers to be armed, which is seen as a step in the wrong direction for many who are calling for stronger gun control. The White House has also proposed implementing "rigorous" firearm training for some school personnel.
Future protests have already been planned for the rest of the month of March. Parkland survivors say they will "not back down" or be silenced this time. Many students have called for and successfully convinced many businesses to part ways with the NRA. You can find a list of these companies here.
If you want more information on upcoming events and protests, you can visit https://marchforlife.org/
