Iowa Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond to Shooting Outside East High School in Des Moines

The Iowa chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after three people who appear to be teens were shot, including one fatally according to recent reports, in a shooting outside East High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Details are still developing.

“Our hearts break for those who were wounded or impacted by this senseless shooting,” said Chloe Gayer, a National Advisory Board Member and volunteer with Students Demand Action in Iowa. “These tragedies cannot continue to happen. We need real solutions that address gun violence and keep students safe – we’ll keep fighting until that is a reality.”

In an average year, 302 people die and 489 people are wounded by guns in Iowa. Firearms are the second leading cause of death among children and teens in Iowa. Gun violence costs Iowa $1.9 billion each year, of which $44.8 million is paid by taxpayers. Learn more about gun violence in Iowa here.