Virginia Woman at School Board Meeting Threatens to Bring “Every Single Gun Loaded” – Everytown, Virginia Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond

Today, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, Everytown’s grassroots networks, released the following statements in response to the threat of gun violence at school board meetings. Yesterday, a Virginia parent threatened to bring loaded guns to her children’s school if the school required students to wear masks. 

“How can our kids feel safe in school if parents can show up to school board meetings and threaten gun violence? How can children focus on classes with this in the back of their heads?” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “This is the world the NRA wants – a dystopia where guns are the answer to any disagreement. Don’t want to wear a mask? Gun. Didn’t like the way someone looked at you? Gun. It’s downright dangerous, and the majority of Americans who support common sense gun safety across the country won’t stand for it.”

“There’s so much misplaced rage around school policies these days – but where’s the outcry about this parent literally threatening to kill school officials with loaded guns, about the epidemic of gun violence which actually endangers us all?” said Jeannie She, a volunteer with Virginia Students Demand Action who has been personally impacted by gun violence, and a member of the Students Demand Action National Advisory Board. “This school year has already seen historic levels of gunfire on school grounds and a mental health crisis among young people. Threats like these make both worse.”

This school year saw a historic surge in gun violence on school grounds. Since the start of the school year in August 2021, there has been an unprecedented level of gunfire at schools compared to past years. The following period saw more incidents recorded since Everytown began tracking in 2013. September and October 2021 are tied for the most incidents recorded in a single month in Everytown’s database, with 32 incidents in each month.

This past legislative session, Virginia passed an extreme risk law, which empowers loved ones and law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from people who are a danger to themselves or others. Virginia also passed a bill which empowers municipalities to pass ordinances prohibiting firearms in certain places, including local government meetings. Municipalities across Virginia should enact these ordinances, following in the footsteps of municipalities covering nearly 3 million Virginians, and lawmakers in Richmond should reject any attempt to roll back critical gun safety measures.