DANBURY, CT — Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence executive director Abbey Clements released the following statement regarding this alarming media reports that a second grade student in Glen Burnie was injured after apparently bringing a gun to school:
“This unfortunately looks like another shocking example of what the numbers show all the time – most school shootings occur because the students have access to an unsecured firearm in the home,” said Clements. “Whether it’s today or down the road, the Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention team is available to any teachers or staff, who need support, day or night. It’s OK to ask for help.”
“Classrooms should be safe places where no one has to live in fear of gun violence. In the long term, I hope Maryland schools can use this moment to do what schools do best: empower teachers to educate parents about how important – and how easy it is – it that they secure their firearms at home.”
According to CNN, there have been at least 75 school shootings in the United States last year.
The Teachers Unify Crisis Intervention Team is led by teachers with decades of experience in the classroom who are survivors of gun violence and Dr. Michael Schultz, a licensed psychologist, family therapist, and systems consultant. The team launched on Nov. 6 with an intensive weekend of in-person training in Philadelphia.
Any teacher or school, public or private, can reach a member of the crisis intervention team by calling 203-296-3689 or emailing response@teachersunify.org.
Gun violence is a costly – and preventable – public health challenge that is far too common in our schools:
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 435 school shootings since 1999.
As many as 66% of school shootings resulted from a gun that was not secured properly in the home.
Eighteen to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at over triple the rate of adults 21 years and older.
4.6 million kids live in homes with unsecured, loaded firearms.
1 out of 10 gun deaths are age 19 or younger.
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Abbey Clements Abbey is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, and has 32 years of experience as an elementary teacher. She and her then-2nd graders are survivors of the Sandy Hook School tragedy on Dec. 14, 2012.
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.
Feb. 4, 2026 Press@teachersunify.org