Parkland survivor David Hogg "exhausted" after Nashville school shooting
BOSTON - Long before we could ever know about Monday's tragic events in Nashville, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida school shooting planned to have a conversation on gun control right here in Boston.
David Hogg survived the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Florida on Valentine's Day five years ago.
The timing was tragically ironic.
On the day school shooting survivor David Hogg hosted a conversation on gun control, three 9-year-olds lost their lives in a school shooting in Nashville, TN.
"I'm feeling some version of how all of us are feeling. Exhausted. Exhausted of this continuing," said Hogg. "Historically our response after these shootings has been one of fear and anger and I think anger is something we need to hold onto and the righteous indignation that these things continue to happen."
David became a prominent advocate for gun control with March for Our Lives, after 17 of his schoolmates and teachers were murdered in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in 2018. Hogg survived by hiding in a closet.
"Parents should not have to fear whether or not they'll be able to pick up their child from school alive or not or if they'll be in a body bag," said Hogg.
On Monday, in a conversation on gun control with WBUR, the Harvard student said the community and lawmaker response to school shootings should not be reactive but proactive.
"I would much rather have you march hand in hand with me and then let's thank each other after we've won and kids don't have to go through school shooter drills anymore and kids don't have to fear for their lives or walk over blood-stained sidewalks on their way to school," said Hogg.
The conversation resonated with teachers and parents in the audience.
"We should all be thinking about our kids' safety. At school, at home, walking down the street. Every time I see these things it gets me very nervous, and I call my daughter," said Lisa Murphy.
"It needs to be all generations involved in ending gun violence," said Wendy Rivenburg.
With some strongest gun laws in the country-like a ban on assault weapons-Hogg believes Massachusetts can lead the way to fight for change in around the country.
"We all have disagreements obviously and that's part of democracy, but I do want to figure out common ground on how to move forward and understand that disagreement and hatred are not the same thing," said Hogg.
Hogg said instead of fear, the community should have hope that if other countries can prevent school shootings-then so can the United States one day.