11 Teen Gun Violence Survivors and Activists on the Parkland Shooting Anniversary
February 14th is most commonly known as a day for eating chocolate, binging rom-coms, and hanging out with your squad. But it took on a different meaning when 17 students and staff members were gunned down last Valentine's Day in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.
Today marks the one year anniversary of that day, and a lot has transpired since the tragedy. Parkland students organized the March for Our Lives, a series of events in support of stronger gun violence prevention measures. The initial march took place in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2018, and hundreds of thousands of activists showed up in support. Students staged walkouts at their respective schools to prove their allegiance to the cause, and many more brushed up on their knowledge of gun laws and statistics, hoping to use their voices to make a difference. They committed some stats to memory, like:
Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns and hundreds more are shot and injured.
Black males are 15 times more likely than white males to be shot and injured in assaults involving guns.
Firearms are the second leading cause of death for American children and teens and the first leading cause of death for Black children and teens.
There was a total of 24 school shootings with injuries or deaths in 2018.
That's why we asked 10 gun violence survivors and activists about why gun reform is still so important...
"A year ago, February 14, 2018 started off as a normal day. My mom dropped me off at school and I was stressed about a Spanish test. I never could have imagined on that day, 17 of my fellow students and teachers would be killed, 17 others wounded, and all our lives changed forever. In the days and weeks that followed, many of us turned to activism. We refused to let our classmates and teachers die in vain. America's gun homicide rate is 25 times the average of other developed nations. We have a gun violence crisis, but my generation refuses to throw up our hands and do nothing. We know stronger gun laws can save lives. I call on every student to join the movement to end gun violence. It's our turn to fix this crisis." -Sari Kaufman, Parkland, Florida, 16, Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting survivor
"Growing up in a less affluent area in Miami, many people I knew either lost someone to gun violence or had survived it themselves. I first experienced gun violence as a 10-year-old when my father was robbed at gunpoint in our apartment complex. While my sister and I were helping my father with groceries from his car, two men dressed in black approached my father and demanded that he give them all of his cash. After a tiresome 12 hour day of driving a taxi that barely rewarded minimum wage, my father gave his entire earnings for that week by handing over his wallet in order to escape with his life. My father survived, but most aren't so lucky. Every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed." -Neuteyshe Felizor, Fairfax, Virginia, 20, student at George Mason University
"When the Parkland shooting happened, I had never been personally affected by gun violence, but knew I had to get involved. We shouldn't have to live in fear of a gunman storming into our classrooms or communities. Almost a year later, I survived gun violence myself. On a Friday night in January, I was at the Newport Centre mall with friends when a fight broke out at the Taco Bell. Soon, there was gunfire, and my friends and I were sprinting to find a safe place to hide. It was a terrifying experience, and while gun violence is unusual in an upscale Jersey City mall, it is a tragically common American experience. Gun violence is preventable, and all of us - including teens - can have a role in ending this crisis." -Jai Patel, Jersey City, NJ, 19, student at Rutgers University
"I became part of the gun violence prevention movement right after the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands because the people in office weren’t keeping us safe. I knew that it was important to educate myself on the gun laws in my state and to engage in this conversation. To me, gun safety means being able to live without the daily fear of a shooting happening in my community. Gun safety means that I don’t have to see people my age die due to a senseless act." -Juliana Simone Carrasco, Miami, FL, 16, founder of the Students Demand Action chapter in Miami
"As a junior in high school debate, I spent hours researching universal background checks and their effect on curbing gun violence for one of our monthly topics. At the time, healthy discourse surrounding gun violence prevention seemed almost impossible, and I felt powerless as a 17-year-old living in a very gun-friendly state. The Parkland tragedy just a few short months later changed that completely. Instead of asking for thoughts and prayers, the students impacted demanded for tangible legislative and cultural change. The Parkland shooting opened my eyes to the sheer number of gun violence survivors that were in my community and even my own family. Gun violence shatters lives, but it’s something that can be prevented with common sense reform." -Alanna Miller, Southlake, TX, 18, gun reform activist
"My friend endured various gun shot wounds at the hands of her stepfather. The wounds punctured her back as she attempted to run away with her 5 and 8 year old siblings. This event increased awareness about the normalization of gun violence in South Central LA. Parkland made my community realize that gun violences destroys families and endangers the lives of youth. I'm now a proud member of Students Demand Action. I'm devoted to organizing rallies, hosting gun sense meetings, and empowering students from low income neighborhoods to voice their pain with gun violence." -Marco Vargas, Los Angeles, California, 19, gun reform activist
"Almost two years ago, I was working my after school job at a restaurant as a hostess. One early Sunday night, I opened the restaurant door and on the other side was a man whose face was covered with a mask, and who had a shotgun slung over his shoulder. It took me a minute to realize what was happening. So he fired his weapon, less than 5 feet in front of me, to help me figure it out. He wanted the keys to the register, but I didn't have them. I was 17-years-old when I was forced to lay on the floor face down with a gun to my head. Almost two years later, even after all of the therapy and support I’ve been given, I am still trying to pick myself up off that floor.
In the months after I became a survivor, I started attending Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America meetings. I had to start taking action, and advocacy became part of how I started to make myself feel safe again. Moms Demand Action gave me the power to speak up when the tragedy of Parkland occurred. I spoke at Phoenix March for Our Lives about being a survivor, in support of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, and even just this week, I joined Moms Demand Action volunteers to talk to our lawmakers about new legislation to keep guns out of the wrong hands in Arizona. No one should have to go through what I experienced. I'm determined to make a difference to make sure that it won’t hurt anyone else the way it did me. We have to force change ourselves; I think it’s been made pretty clear that nothing is going to change on its own. It’s up to us to make it happen." -Molly Jimmerson, Phoenix, AZ, 18, activist
"After the Pulse nightclub shooting, it became all the more clear to me that gun violence was an issue that needed to be addressed urgently and powerfully. More specifically, students and young people have such a unique perspective on the issue that is often overlooked, and I felt that it needed to be amplified. Because of this, my friend and I decided to found the country's first Students Demand Action chapter in 2016. I have been working ever since to bolster student involvement in this important issue." -Roni Weissman, Berkeley, California, 17, activist
"Prior to the Parkland shooting, I was passively aware of the gun violence crisis in our country; I could recall vague statistics that seemed too big to be real. When the Parkland massacre occurred, I realized that I could no longer ignore the legitimate threat gun violence poses to the safety of every American. Regardless of his or her age, every person can contribute to ending the scourge of gun violence." -Jenna Swetland, Chesapeake, VA, 18, activist
"As an African American, I always knew that I was statistically at a higher risk of being a victim of gun violence in America, but personally, I always felt safe in my school and community. But then Parkland happened, and I realized that no one was immune from gun violence. I also saw that I'd been turning my back on a gun violence crisis that is the number one killer of Black children and teens.
After the shooting, I organized my school's walkout and lobbied the California Department of Education for school policy that helps to prevent gun violence. I used my voice to educate others on how they too can become activists. One should not have to lose a loved one to stand up for gun violence prevention, and my generation is committed to leading on this issue." -Ryan Pascal, Los Angeles, California, 16, activist
"Ten days before I turned 8, my dad shot and killed himself. For years, I missed him and wondered if I'd ever feel whole again. When I began to process his death at the age of 13, my mom and I started volunteering with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. We learned together that two-thirds of gun deaths in this country were gun suicides, like the one that took my dad. And we learned that states with stronger gun laws experience fewer gun deaths, including suicides. We both became determined to take action in honor of my dad, and every other family who has had to cope with the loss of a loved one." -Julia Spoor, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, 17, activist
If you want to become more involved with gun reform advocacy in your area, visit Everytown.
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