Parkland survivors condemn Trump’s response to Texas school shooting
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Parkland survivors condemn Trump’s response to Texas school shooting

Stop ‘treating it like a sports game,’ the March for Our Lives founder said.

@HCSOTexas/Twitter

Tess Cagle—

Gun control and gun rights advocates around the U.S. have begun to respond to reports of multiple fatalities following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas.

This is the 22nd school shooting in the U.S. just 20 weeks into the year, as CNN pointed out Friday morning.

President Donald Trump tweeted about the shooting shortly after news reports rolled in.

“School shooting in Texas,” he said. “Early reports not looking good. God bless all!”

Republican Rep. Randy Weber, who represents the district where the shooting took place, tweeted that he was praying for the situation.

Vice President Mike Pence and First Lady Melania Trump also made statements of support with Santa Fe High School.

“To the students, families, teachers of Santa Fe High School, all of those affected and the entire community: We are with you, you are in our prayers, and you’re in the prayers of the American people,” he tweeted.

For many, including student survivors from Parkland High School, politicians’ tweets were not enough. They were also outraged that another school, and countless students and families, have to go through what they did because no major strides in gun control have been made since the Feb. 14 shooting.

“Donald Trump does not care about school shootings,” Cameron Kasky, founder of March for Our Lives, tweeted. “Donald Trump does nothing to stop school shootings. Don’t talk to me about the ‘stop school violence act,’ because that does nothing to stop school shootings. Donald Trump does not care about you or your kids getting shot.”

“This has been my fear since February 14th, that another mass casualty shooting would happen before we did anything,” Fred Guttenberg, father of Jaime Guttenberg, who was killed in the Parkland shooting, tweeted. “Now, we have 8 more children dead and our leadership in Washington has done nothing. We do not need thoughts and prayers, we need action and we need it now.”

Parkland survivor David Hogg tweeted shortly after the news of the shooting, “We are fighting for you.” He also tweeted that folks should get ready for “two weeks of media coverage of politicians acting like they give a shit when in reality they just want to boost their approval ratings before midterms.”

Emma Gonzalez also tweeted about the shooting and said the school did not deserve the havoc it experienced Friday morning.

“Santa Fe High, you didn’t deserve this. You deserve peace all your lives, not just after a tombstone saying that is put over you,” she tweeted. “You deserve more than Thoughts and Prayers, and after supporting us by walking out we will be there to support you by raising up your voices.”

Other Parkland students also tweeted about the shooting and called for change.

Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, tweeted about the shooting, as well.

“Eating breakfast, going to the movies, out dancing, sitting in church, going to school,” he tweeted. “All offenses punishable by gun death in America. Where the hell are our leaders?”

Eight people are confirmed dead at Santa Fe High School, with at least three injured being treated at local hospitals, according to CNN. The shooting occurred at 7:45am local time, and according to some witnesses began in an art class. The shooter was reportedly armed with a shotgun and likely a student at the high school, law enforcement officials said.

Tess Cagle

Tess Cagle

Tess Cagle is a reporter who focuses on politics, lifestyle, and streaming entertainment. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Texas Monthly, the Austin American-Statesman, Damn Joan, and Community Impact Newspaper. She’s also a portrait, events, and live music photographer in Central Texas.

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