Survivor of Parkland, Fla., school shooting joins Pittsburgh leaders in calling for gun reform

A survivor of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla. on Monday visited Pittsburgh and joined local teachers and other activists in calling for action to prevent future school shootings and other acts of gun violence.

David Hogg has dedicated himself to fighting for gun reform since the Parkland shooting. He was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018 when a gunman killed 17 people and wounded more.

Hogg said gun reform shouldn’t be a political issue, but something where people come together to find common ground before more children die in shootings in their classrooms.

“They’re not Democrats or Republicans,” he said. “They’re champion tee ball players. They’re honor roll students.”

Hogg led a chant outside of Sen. Pat Toomey’s Downtown office, hollering, “Senator Toomey, save our kids.”

He called on Toomey, a Republican, and other lawmakers to join their effort to curb gun violence.

“We have the same enemy,” Hogg said. “He (Toomey) doesn’t want kids to get shot either. I know deep down, nobody wants that in our country.”

“Senator Toomey, save our kids.”
David Hogg is leading dozens of teachers, local leaders and others in calling for action against gun violence. pic.twitter.com/XDmeMC8kRI

— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) May 31, 2022

About 50 people joined Hogg in the rally.

“Our nation has had to painfully endure 27 school shootings this year alone, and it’s only May,” said Nina Esposito-Visgitis, executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, the union that represents Pittsburgh Public teachers. “Our beautiful and innocent children are dying.

Toomey’s office noted the senator has repeatedly worked on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of known criminals and the dangerously mentally ill.

“It is possible to protect Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens while keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. The Senator remains committed to achieving this goal, and he is ready and willing to work with anyone on either side of the aisle to accomplish it,” a statement released by his office said.

The rally comes a week after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers.

The group outside Toomey’s office Tuesday afternoon held a moment of silence to remember the victims of the Uvalde shooting, as well as those who lost their lives in Parkland and elsewhere.

“It’s important to stand up for our children,” said Sylvia Wilson, a board member at Pittsburgh Public Schools. “Nobody should get an assault weapon. We’re not at war in the streets. Nobody should have to worry about going to school.”

After hearing of the recent shooting in Texas, she said, she was forced to think of how to protect students in Pittsburgh’s schools. She credited the district’s staff for forming positive relationships with students and their work to make sure kids are safe in schools, but she said leaders in Harrisburg and Washington need to take action on gun violence.

“Prayers and thoughts are not going to heal these kids and not going to keep anybody safe,” Wilson said.

The Rev. Torrey O. Johnson called the movement “a call to arms” in the fight against gun violence.

“We are arming you with a moral imperative,” he said.

His 16-year-old son, Christian Johnson, who graduated from Pittsburgh Public Schools, said he has experienced five shooting threats — plus several bomb threats — in his educational career.

“No child should fear for their life in the pursuit of education,” Christian Johnson said. “We shouldn’t need bulletproof backpacks.”

Dominic DiNunzio, a 10th grader in Pittsburgh Public Schools, said he worries that what happened in Uvalde could happen in his own community next.

“While the gun lobby holds politicians like Sen. Toomey hostage, children are dying,” said Rob Mitchell, a teacher at Pittsburgh Public Schools. “Teachers are dying.”

Hogg called for people on all sides of the aisle to work together to prevent future shootings. He said he respected different beliefs, but could not respect leaders who refused to try to reach a compromise for children’s safety.

“You haven’t done your jobs nearly as well as you needed to either,” he told elected officials who had joined to show their support, including state Reps. Sara Innamorato and Summer Lee.

Innamorato, a Democrat who supports gun reform, said she appreciated that Hogg was holding leaders like herself accountable and called on constituents to do the same with their own officials.

“It’s just a shame that we’re here again,” she said. “We need to be on the side of popular opinion and start to take legislative action.”

Hogg and other leaders at the rally cited statistics showing the majority of Americans support background checks for firearms. He also noted that the United States is home to 100 million more guns than people.

Pennsylvania, Hogg said, is a key state when it comes to electing officials who support gun reform.

“Pennsylvanians can make a difference to make Congress act,” he said.

People passed out cards with information on registering people to vote, urging them to help elect people who would support what they called “common sense” gun reform measures.

“Our kids are dying,” Hogg said. “This is our future dying.”

Hogg’s visit to Pittsburgh came days after an 18-month-old was shot and killed in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“This doesn’t have to happen,” he said. “It’s so heartbreaking. I’m furious at us as a country, that we can’t protect that kid.”

Hogg and other leaders called for universal background checks, red flag laws and other measures that they believe would curb the gun violence that has impacted schools and communities throughout the country. He called also for leaders to address the root causes of violence, like systemic racism.

“The reality is the next shooter is plotting their attack right now,” he said.