March For Our Lives Comment on Parkland Shooter's Guilty Plea: “We won’t have closure until our laws prevent these tragedies in the first place”

Parkland, FL — Today, the killer in the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida will plead guilty to all seventeen counts of murder and attempted murder. Our statement remains the same: We have no comment on him. We will never dignify him by referring to his name, and we ask that the media do the same. Instead, we should honor victims and survivors by telling their stories, not his. What is clear is that gun violence is a systemic crisis and a uniquely American epidemic. The shooter’s deadly actions are part of a long string of gun violence that is ripping at the very heart of our nation, and kills people and destroys communities daily. There is no place in this country where you can go without fear of being shot. This is an emergency. It is a violent epidemic that must be addressed. A single guilty plea does not bring closure as long as it is still possible for another person anywhere in this country to be murdered by a gun at school, in a place of worship, or in their very own home. A guilty plea will not erase the past, and it will not bring us peace. It has been nearly four years since the shooting. We are appalled and disgusted that policymakers continue to waffle and play games, rather than do what needs to be done to prevent any more gun deaths. We are not at peace, we are as angry and determined as ever.