Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Launches “Project Lockdown” to Stop Guns from Going Back to School
Campaign Will Promote Safe Gun Storage with National Videos, Social Media and Action from Teachers
Danbury, CT — With Back-to-School season underway, Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence is launching a new national campaign to educate parents and students about the importance of secure firearm storage.
When students head back to school, guns and gun violence often go with them. As students headed back to school in Minnesota this month, the tragic Annunciation Catholic Church shooting took place during a mass to mark the start of the school year at the school, which is attached to the church. Two children were killed and 21 other people were wounded.
The campaign, located at projectlockdown.org, includes social media fact sheets and striking videos that contrast today’s lockdown gun drill culture at schools and asks parents to lock up their guns and prevent the next school shooting. According to a study by the Secret Service, around two-thirds of school shootings take place because a firearm was not properly secured in the home.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think of the lives that would be changed if everyone, everywhere committed to storing their firearms securely,” said Abbey Clements, co-founder and executive director of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. “I know how easy it is to feel hopeless after another school shooting, but the truth is that there is something we can all do now to make a difference, and that’s get our schools involved in educating parents about the importance of locking up their guns. That doesn’t require changing a law – it just takes action.”
A study from the University of Michigan found that 1 in 3 U.S. Homes with a child under the age of 18 have a firearm and 45 percent of those firearms are unlocked. Guns are the leading cause of death for children in America. More than 398,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine. There have been more than 434 school shootings since 1999.
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. Its co-founders have over 75 years teaching experience combined and two are survivors of our most horrific school shootings – Newtown and Parkland.
September 18, 2025
Contact: Press@teachersunify.org