Gun violence is pervasive in the United States and, despite public outrage, incidents of mass shootings continue to rise. In 2018, a gunman killed 17 people — mostly students – at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. The shooting led survivors including David Hogg to create March for Our Lives, a youth-led movement dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education and direct action to eliminate gun violence. “It feels like a lifetime has gone by,” Hogg said recently, marking the five year anniversary.
While March for Our Lives continues to push for bans on assault weapons and red flag laws, the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, which surpassed the fatalities in Parkland, served as a stark reminder. “We came out and we literally said, ‘never again.’ Obviously that didn’t work, unfortunately.” Hogg said.
WBUR senior political reporter Anthony Brooks spoke with Hogg at CitySpace as the country again faced news of a mass shooting in Nashville, TN.