Newtown, CT — Yesterday, four students ranging in age from 14 to 17 were killed and seven others were wounded in a mass shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan. This is the 53rd school shooting this year and the deadliest since 2018.
Students reported seeing threats and warning signs of potential violence on social media in the weeks preceding the attack. Investigations found no cause for concern.
In response to this devastating news, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, and mother of Dylan who was killed in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, issued the following statement:
“My heart breaks for the victims’ families and the survivors in the Oxford community who will never be the same after this tragedy. It’s easy to think this will never happen in ‘my’ community… until it does. Every community is at risk of gun violence. We must remain vigilant for warning signs like the threats seen on social media and reported by Oxford High School students. Act immediately and take it seriously. Say something.”
The semi-automatic pistol used in the attack was purchased by the shooter’s father four days earlier. In response, Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy issued the following statement:
“I feel the pain this community is experiencing. Preventable death is excruciating. Keeping firearms locked away from minors and other prohibited persons is critical for everyone’s safety. Change isn’t happening fast enough. Feeling safe at school is a fundamental right for all children. Every day we waste without action to end gun violence, more kids are at risk. We must do more to protect them from this epidemic.”
2021 has surpassed 2020 as the most deadly year for gun violence ever recorded. More than 5,200 kids age 17 and under have already been killed or injured by a firearm this year. And these figures increase daily. The pain and trauma of gun violence ripples throughout entire communities, whether or not there is a personal connection with the shootings or any of the victims.
School shootings and gun violence are not inevitable — they are preventable. To date, nearly 15 million people nationwide have participated in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence.
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About Sandy Hook Promise
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to end school shootings and create a culture change that prevents violence and other harmful acts that hurt children. Through its life-saving, evidence-informed Know the Signs prevention programs, SHP educates and empowers youth and adults to recognize, intervene, and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated and/or at risk of hurting themselves or others. Through nonpartisan policy and partnerships, SHP advances gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education at the state and federal levels that protect all children from gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Learn more at www.sandyhookpromise.org.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg, Communications Director, Sandy Hook Promise | [email protected] |
646-761-5579