Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting at Atlanta High School

ATLANTA, GA – Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots network, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statements in response to a mass shooting at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Southwest Atlanta where four students were shot and injured. While details are still emerging, reports indicate that the shots were fired from an “unknown vehicle” at the lower campus parking lot.  

“Here we are again. Another day in America where students have to face the nightmares of gun violence at school,” said Sophie Chang, a volunteer with Northview High School Students Demand Action chapter. “Our lives shouldn’t be the cost of an education, but this is what happens when lawmakers choose a path of inaction. It doesn’t have to be like this. We don’t have to keep dying like this.” 

“Today’s shooting comes six years after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and is another reminder of why we demand that our lawmakers keep our schools safe,” said Diana Gregory, a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We refuse to continue sending our students, teachers and loved ones to school in fear that they might not make it home. Our hearts are with those affected by the shooting today and we will continue to fight to prevent any other community from experiencing this heartache.”

The shooting at Benjamin E. Mays High School comes on the six year-mark of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were shot and killed and 17 others were wounded. This week is a particularly tragic reminder of the impact of gun violence on school grounds, as it is also the one year-mark of the mass shooting at Michigan State University, the 14 year-mark of the mass shooting at University of Alabama Huntsville, and the 16 year-mark of the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University. Already in 2024, there have been at least 25 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 11 deaths and 17 injuries nationally. 

Georgia ranks 46th in the nation for its weak gun laws, lacking all of the foundational laws necessary to prevent gun violence. In an average year, 1,868 people die by guns in Georgia, and 4,321 more are wounded. With a rate of 17.4 deaths per 100,000 people, Georgia has the 17th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Georgia. 

To speak to a Georgia volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a volunteer with Students Demand Action, or a policy expert, please contact [email protected].