After Abundant Life shooting, Madison teens call for gun control [View all]
Hundreds of Madison high school students walked out of classes Friday afternoon and marched to the state Capitol building in response to Mondays shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
Students from West High School chanted no more silence, end gun violence and books, not bullets during their nearly three-mile route to the Capitol. East High School and La Follette High School students joined them in front of the building, where speakers called for stronger gun control measures and increased mental health resources in schools.
Many students said they were compelled to speak out because they no longer felt safe going to school. Others said they felt desensitized to gun violence because of school shootings in the past year alone. I am fed up with the fact that our peers at (Abundant Life) had to experience this horrifying tragedy and that this event was not even unique but rather part of a nationwide trend, West High School senior Aharon Shelef said in remarks to the crowd. I am fed up with the fact that guns are the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in our country, so we can't just go to school or live our lives without worrying if we are next.
Three people died in the shooting Monday, including a teacher, a 14-year-old student and the 15-year-old shooter. Two victims remain hospitalized in critical condition. At the protest, students called on lawmakers to enact stronger gun reforms, including stricter background checks for gun owners and restrictions on assault weapons. Students are no longer able to access education without a fear for our lives, and it's unfair. We must face the reality that gun violence is not just a problem. It's an epidemic, said Ella Crew, a West High School senior. There must be a neutral agreement for gun control for the sake of all of our children.
https://captimes.com/news/education/after-abundant-life-shooting-madison-teens-call-for-gun-control/article_cc003b48-bf13-11ef-9c30-2b45bf7e711a.html