Decatur High students walk out of class to show support for reforming gun laws
Students across Georgia walked out of class on Friday, Sept. 20, in a push for gun reform following a recent shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. Decatur and Druid Hills High School students were among those participating.
Four people were killed in the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder on Sept. 4. The victims were football coach Richard Aspinwall, math teacher Cristina Irimie, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Nine others were injured as well, according to Atlanta News First.
Colt Gray, 14, who is a student at the school, was charged as an adult with four counts of murder in connection to the shooting. His father, Colin Gray, was arrested after law enforcement alleged he provided the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting. Colin Gray has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children.
Apalachee students will return to the classroom starting on Sept. 24. They will go to school for half-days until Oct. 4 and will return to full days on Oct. 14 after fall break, ANF reported.
According to a spokesperson from DeKalb County Schools, about 75 Druid Hills High School students also participated in the walkout. Staff was on site with students to ensure their safety. Students are not facing disciplinary consequences for participating.
Decatur High students walked into the high school’s stadium around 11 a.m. on Friday and returned to class about half an hour later. Students were seen giving speeches on a megaphone and chanting. Part of a chant included, “Our blood is on your hands.”
The students spent four minutes in silence to honor and recognize each victim. Here’s part of a statement one student gave:
“Thank you for being here. On Sept. 4, the students of Apalachee High School listened in horror to the sound of gunfire and hid under their desks as their 14-year-old classmate killed two of their teachers and two of their peers with an AR-15. They texted desperate ‘I love yous’ to their loved ones and stopped the flow of blood using the shirts o their backs. Instead of homecoming, Barrow County is holding funerals. We stand in solidarity with the Barrow community as they grieve and heal, and we pledge to never stop fighting for our right to feel safe at school. Christian Angulo, Mason Schermerhorn, Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie should be alive today. I’m asking you all to remain silent and respectful as we observe a four-minute moment of silence to honor each of the victims.”
The Decatur School Board recently adopted a policy regarding student demonstrations and strikes. The policy allows for peaceful protests if students go through a process to coordinate with school staff and if it does not disrupt the school day. This was the first event to go through that process.
“It states students who wish to have a peaceful demonstration are encouraged to discuss with school personnel to maintain a safe and non-disruptive environment,” Chief of Staff Amanda Lynch previously said.
ANF reported that students walked out at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta on Friday morning.
Freshman Maya Flowers-Glass organized the Maynard Jackson High School walkout with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition. She said they were expecting about 500 people there to participate, but it was closer to 1,000 in their school of about 1,600.
“It was amazing seeing almost our whole school community come together for this cause,” she told ANF.
Students participating in these walkouts specifically advocate for safe gun storage laws to pass in the next legislative session.
“This bill is just common sense—it’s just asking that in any household where students could have access to a firearm there are measures in place to make sure they cannot simply pick it up,” said Flowers-Glass.
Students around the state are pushing for change. The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, Change for Chee and March for Our Lives held a rally in Lilburn on Friday as well to demand that the governor, lieutenant governor and state Legislature pass the Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act.
State Rep. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek) introduced House Bill 161, the Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act, in 2023, but it has stalled in the Legislature. Although, at the end of the session in 2023, the Georgia House Public Safety & Homeland Security 2-A Subcommittee, a Republican-controlled committee at the time, held a hearing on the bill.
Under HB 161, it would be a crime to allow a gun to get into the hands of an unsupervised child, which would be a high and aggravated misdemeanor if the bill becomes law. It would be punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 to allow a child access to a firearm if the child fires it and injures or kills someone, according to the Georgia Recorder.
Decatur student Joshua Black said during the walkout at Decatur High School that having a daily fear of gun violence is not normal. He urged the state government. Kids not feeling safe at school is not only a tragedy, but has become a deliberate choice, he added.
“We refuse to accept a world where Governor Kemp’s response to Apalachee was to offer thoughts and prayers when it is his failure to act that allowed it to take place,” Black said. “In the more than 400 shootings that have happened since Columbine, we’ve seen the passage of open carry and concealed carry. We’ve seen Michelle Au’s Safe Storage Bill inch through the Legislature only to get killed by politicians playing political games while our lives are on the line.”
He added that one place where guns are banned in Georgia is the state Capitol, where these laws are written.
“To Governor Kemp, Lt. Governor Jones, and the politicians responsible for Apalachee: Prayers aren’t enough. Our blood is on your hands,” Black said.
The Senate Study Committee on Safe Firearm Storage has been meeting recently and is charged with crafting and helping pass gun safety laws and policies aimed at protecting children, the Georgia Recorder reported.
The committee, chaired by Sen. Emanuel Jones (D—Senate District 10), heard testimony from a student at the Morgan Oliver School in Atlanta. Sanidia Oliver-Stone, the school’s founder and head, said this can be a scary moment for children.
“We had conversations about the Apalachee shooting,” Oliver-Stone said. “They came in talking about it. They came in with some concerns and fears.”
She had received a proposal from students seeking to address gun violence. Autumn Humphries, 11, urged the senators to take some action to reduce gun violence in the state.
“If you do have a gun, it should absolutely be locked away from children. It is super important to know how to handle a gun and be responsible with it,” Humphries said. “Why do guns exist if all we’re going to do with them is hurt people for no reason.”
She urged parents to address struggles their children may be having and to make sure kids cannot get to any weapons in the house.
Georgia currently does not have any laws in place that require guns to be safely stored. Sen. David Lucas (D – Senate District 26) suggested that the first step to change would be to change the process for how an assault rifle can be purchased.
He suggested that the state implement a permit saying the purchaser can legally purchase a gun and that they don’t have a felony record. He suggested that there could be a 10-day waiting period before the final sale.
Humphries added that adults can hear kids demanding change but are seemingly not listening.
“We keep asking the adults to do something about this,” Humphries said. “This is our future you’re affecting here. We are the next generation, and you’re acting like you don’t care. Hopefully, you can hear our voices now.”
This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.
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