Wisconsin students march for their lives
After a deadly school shooting in their district, Madison, WI students protested at the state Capitol, shouting "No more silence. End gun violence."
A few hours into the school day on Friday—the last day before winter break—more than 100 high schoolers marched through the snowy streets of Madison, Wisconsin to the state Capitol, demanding an “end to gun violence” and better mental health access, four days after a 15-year-old opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School, killing one student, one teacher, and themselves. Six more people were critically injured.
“There have been over 323 school shootings in the past year, something has to be done,” Grace Crew, a senior from Madison West High School, told TUT via TikTok direct messages after we shared a video of the protest, which has since garnered over 70,000 views. Crew’s first name was changed for anonymity at their request.
(Credit: Rep Francesca Hong via Storyful)
According to Crew, the protest began with eight students and included participants from multiple schools, including Abundant Life. Their demands focused on bipartisan action to enforce thorough background and mental health checks for all gun sales, as well as increased government funding for mental health services.
The demonstration caught the attention of parents and state Democratic lawmakers, who joined the students at the Capitol. There, students shared emotional stories of fear, survival, and loss from that harrowing day, while also honoring the lives of the victims: 42-year-old teacher Erin M. West and 14-year-old student Rubi P. Vergara.
“I just want to say that I am fed up,” said Aharon Shelef, 18, a senior at Madison West, addressing the crowd of students at the state Capitol via Wisconsin Public Radio. “I am fed up with the fact that, because this happens so often, whenever we learn of yet another school shooting, basically everyone continues with their lives like business as usual. 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.”
By the numbers: Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children and teens and in Wisconsin, the rate of gun deaths increased 45% from 2013 to 2022, compared to a 36% increase nationwide, according to the Giffords Law Center.