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September 8, 2024

Back to School: Preventing school shootings, teen abortion access in Texas, and a mom on a mission for police accountability.

• Read the School Gun Violence Prevention and Response Guide, created by the NEA and the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

• Follow the work of youth-led organizations, including Team Enough, Building Resilience Awareness & Variations of Excellence (BRAVE),  March for Our Lives and Students Demand Action.

• Use this app to contact your representatives and encourage them to pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 bill. You can also review whether your state has a ban on assault weapons and take action accordingly here.

• Are you a parent? Read this article on how to talk to your kids about the dangers of radicalization.

Calls for accountability mount after the Apalachee High School shooting.

Last Wednesday, a 14-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 rifle killed two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, a city roughly an hour northeast of Atlanta (AP News). The suspect, freshman Colt Gray, faces four charges of felony murder. His father, Colin Gray, who gave his son the military-style rifle used in the shooting even after his son was investigated for making threatening posts about a school shooting, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. He faces up to 180 years in prison if convicted (NBC News). His mother called to warn the school of an “extreme emergency” before the shooting began – to my knowledge, she is not being charged (Reuters).

If convicted, this case will be the second that convicts the shooter’s parent for the death caused by their child in a mass shooting. James and Jennifer Crumbley were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter after their son attacked his high school in Michigan in 2021 (Time).

The school shooting, the most deadly in Georgia’s history, happened just as students across the country began a new school year. There have been over 400 school shootings since Columbine, directly affecting over 383,000 students (Washington Post).

Learn More

This shooting underscores how many public crimes in America are committed by isolated white men. This article, written shortly after the Trump assassination attempt, dives into the patterns of “lone wolf” shooters. Vox >

Here’s what the research recommends for stopping school shootings. Unsurprisingly, mental health care is at the top of the list – and arming teachers is not. NPR >

The shooting is bringing new attention to the gun policy divide in Georgia. While both parties agree on problem, they’re far apart on solutions. AJC >

How America’s unique gun problem endures. The factors that lead to tragedies like the Apalachee High School shooting are deeply ingrained in US politics, culture, and law. Vox >

‘We’re the lockdown generation’: 25 years after Columbine, the gun safety crisis remains. Natalie Fall, executive director of March for Our Lives, said that school shootings have mobilized a generation of young people to take political action. 19th News >

Gun violence is now a public health crisis. What does that actually mean? Experts say a surgeon general's warning is key to keeping kids safe. 19th News >

Test your memory and see what you’ve learned from last month’s feature on heat inequity!

​​​​The overdose crisis no one wants to talk about. The U.S. is still in the throes of this devastating emergency. So why has all discussion of it faded from the presidential campaign? The New Republic >

There’s no justice in the system for asylum cases. In the first of a multi-part series, Bloomberg investigates the injustice of the immigration system. Bloomberg >

A mother on a mission for full police transparency. Troy, Alabama, police severely beat Ulysses Wilkerson when he was 17. Seven years later, his mom, Angela Williams, is still fighting for answers. Marshall Project >

Man charged with plotting shooting at a Jewish center on anniversary of Hamas attack. A Pakistani man was arrested in Canada this week for plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. NPR >

Where are the Black girls in new YA shows & movies? A viral x thread recently analyzed casting announcements in a slew of new YA series — and noticed young black women are conspicuously absent. Teen Vogue >

Republican officials are leading a nationwide effort to gut one of the few options Black communities have to stop their overexposure to pollution. A judge ruled the government can no longer use the Civil Rights Act to prevent Louisiana from expanding or building new polluting facilities. Capital B >

This 1960s bar became a refuge for Honolulu's māhū (gender fluid) community. Performers at the Glade were targeted under anti-drag laws. Today, the bar's rich history is being memorialized by the city of Honolulu. them >

Stories of change and transformation.

This coalition is fighting together for teen abortion access in Texas. How a group of nonprofits in Texas is working together to usher minors across state lines for crucial reproductive care. Harpers Bazaar >

An unlikely line of defense during heat waves: Food banks. Food pantries and meals-on-wheels organizations are taking on a new role during climate emergencies. Grist >

Teens won $50,000 for inventing a flood forecasting technology they hope can help millions of people at risk worldwide. Business Insider >

About 10,000 hotel workers with the union UNITE HERE went on strike across the United States over Labor Day weekend to fight for raises, fair workloads and respect in the workplace. Democracy Now >

Youth climate lawsuits gain momentum: A look at recent victories and ongoing battles. Four groundbreaking youth-led lawsuits have snaked their way through the courts in recent months, changing the legal landscape for the future of climate litigation. Prism >