On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed and 14 more were taken to hospitals, making it one of the world’s deadliest school massacres. Since the shooting, student survivors have emerged as America’s most powerful advocates for reforming gun-control laws. They have been speaking at rallies, confronting state legislators in Florida’s capital, and spurring students at high schools across the country to walk out in a show of solidarity. A nationwide march on Washington, DC, is scheduled for March 24, along with National School Walkout Day, a coordinated protest on March 14. Here are some resources to help your chapter stand in solidarity with the victims of school shootings around the U.S.
General Resources
- Compilation of school shooting statistics from several sources.
- Bios and photos of the 17 victims from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
- These are the Florida students behind the movement to end gun violence.
- #Enough National Walkout Toolkit
- Quiz – Guns and America: How Much Do You Know?
Important News Articles
- List of the Deadliest School Shootings in US History
- Tracking the School Shooting Incidents in 2018 – List of instances in 2018 where a gun went off on a school campus in the U.S. and injured or killed at least one person.
- Columbine Loses Spot Among 10 Deadliest Shootings – List of the top 12 deadliest shootings in the U.S.
- Warning Graphic Content: What I Saw Treating the Victims From Parkland Should Change the Debate on Guns – They weren’t the first victims of a mass shooting the Florida radiologist had seen—but their wounds were radically different.
- Every Company That Has Cut Ties with the NRA Since the Parkland Shooting – A growing number of companies have cut ties with the National Rifle Association amid calls for a boycott of businesses linked to the US gun lobby after the Florida school shooting.
- Fred Meyer Becomes First Major Chain To Stop Selling Guns After Parkland Massacre – Fred Meyer, which has stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska, said it decided to drop guns and ammunition “after evaluating changing customer preferences and the fact that there have already been efforts to steadily reduce this category in Fred Meyer stores over the last several years due to softening consumer demand.”
- Op-Ed by Dick’s Sporting Goods Executive Director Edward Stack – I run Dick’s Sporting Goods. It’s Congress’s turn to do something about guns.
- Here Are The Gun Retailers Not Making Changes After Parkland – In the span of a day, three major gun retailers changed the way they sell firearms in response to last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida… But there are other large gun retailers that have gone silent since Parkland.
Recommended Action Ideas
Make sure your school and local press covers each event!
- Hold a die-in vigil or unity circle with signs with facts, bios of victims, dates of massacres, etc.
- Designate a moment of silence each week for different massacres.
- Create paper chain links with victims’ names on each link and put up chains around campus.
- Wear all orange (color for movement) to show solidarity.
- Put victims’ names or photo on your backpack.
- Classroom or assembly presentations about gun violence.
- Walk-Out on same day at same time across all time zones for a designated amount of time : 17 minutes for 17 students killed in Parkland, FL
10am ET, 10amCT, 10amMT, 10amPT- Students can walk outside of their school or walk out the classroom into a hallway.
- Host sign-making get-togethers for the walk-out.
- If you can’t participate in the walkout, join the California PTA and call federal legislators on March 14
- Write letters to/call/email Congress urging them to take action to keep schools safe.
- Get your relatives to sign the Parents Promise To Kids Contract
- Register to vote!
- Other ideas?
Inspiring Videos
Palisades Charter HS Walkout (5:58)
