The California chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action issued the following statement in response to a shooting yesterday afternoon at the facilities shared by Rudsdale Newcomer High School, Sojourner Truth Independent Study, and Bay Area Technology School in Oakland, California, in which 6 people were shot and wounded. All the victims were over 18 and were affiliated with the schools. According to police reports, multiple shooters were possibly involved. This is the second shooting on a campus in East Oakland this month.
“We’ve been forced to normalize living in constant fear of gunfire, but this isn’t normal,” said Roan Thibault, a volunteer with Students Demand Action Leader in California at UC Davis and National Advisory Board member. “We deserve to be safe in our schools, and we have to continue taking meaningful action to stop gun violence before it happens.”
“We are heartbroken by the news of this shooting, and are praying for the victims, their families, and our community,” said Rudy Espinoza, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Children should be able to go to school free of the fear or risk of active shooters. We will continue to advocate for gun violence prevention solutions.”
Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens in California. Every year, over 3,100 Californians are shot and killed and nearly 7,300 are wounded. Gun violence costs California $41.9 billion each year, of which $1.1 billion is paid by taxpayers.
California continues to be a national leader in gun violence prevention policy. During the 2022 legislative session, state lawmakers passed a number of lifesaving gun safety bills. More information about gun violence in California is available here.