Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Statement on Appeals Court Striking Down California Ammunition Background Check Law
Danbury, CT – Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence released the following statement after media reports that a split Federal Appeals Court has struck down California’s background check law on ammunition.
"While we disagree with this court ruling, what hasn't changed is that anyone who cares about keeping our schools and communities safe from gun violence should commit to safe storage practices for their guns and ammunition," said Abbey Clements, executive director of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. "With some two-thirds of school shootings involving a gun that was not properly secured in the home, we don't need a court to make change. We just need to secure our guns at home."
Background:
Guns are the leading cause of death for children in America.
Every day, an average of 57 shootings occur near a school in the United States.
Eighteen to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at over triple the rate of adults 21 years and older.
As many as 66% of school shootings resulted from a gun that was not secured.
4.6 million kids live in homes with unsecured, loaded firearms.
1 out of 10 gun deaths are age 19 or younger.
More than 394,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine.
There have been more than 428 school shootings since 1999.
Abbey Clements is the executive director and a Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. She is a survivor teacher of the Sandy Hook School tragedy in 2012, and was an elementary educator for over 30 years. She is a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence National Advisory Council. Abbey has been featured in various events, publications, and documentaries including the 2024 DNC, Newtown, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Bullets Into Bells, AFT Voices, USA Today, AARP, Share My Lesson, The Hill, among others.
Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence envisions a future where every school in the United States is a safe haven and a safe learning environment for every child, and where all citizens live without the fear and trauma of gun violence.
July 24, 2025
Contact: Press@teachersunify.org