Teachers Unify: Georgia Dad’s Conviction in Historic School Shooting Case is a Reminder that Every Parent Should Commit to Safe Storage of Their Firearms

Some two-thirds of School Shootings are the Result of an Unsecured Gun in the Home

Danbury, CT — Abbey Clements, survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook School tragedy and co-founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, released the following statement following the conviction of a Georgia father after a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

“Today’s conviction sends an important message, but it won’t bring back the two students and two teachers whose lives were taken on September 4, 2024,” said Abbey Clements, co-founder and executive director of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. “This conviction should send a message to parents everywhere to lock up their guns and commit to safe storage of their firearms. As a teacher, I’m grateful for the prosecutors who took on this case, and my heart is with all the families, educators, and students impacted by this tragedy.”

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. 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. 

Last fall, Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence launched Project Lockdown, a new national campaign to educate parents and students about the importance of secure firearm storage. 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.

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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.