Ethan Schwager

A student reflects on those who have died in school shootings. Over the past year there have been 298 fatalities of gun violence at schools in the United States.

Over the past year, schools have been plagued with gun violence, but no school massacre has sparked as much change for gun control as the death of 17 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Five students from the school started the #NeverAgain movement to try and bring gun control legislation to Congress.

The movement sparked a local student-run organization called Moco For Gun Control. Moco For Gun Control has organized many events including a “die-in” in front of Speaker Paul Ryan’s office in which the students who played dead to commemorate the deaths at Santa Fe High School were arrested. They also had multiple gun control walkouts and rallies in D.C. and members of the organization even gave speeches at the March For Our Lives.

Their most recent project was brought to Walter Johnson on Wednesday afternoon. Moco For Gun Control created a display of 298 white and orange t-shirts with names and ages which represent the 298 victims of gun violence this past year. The display is being hung along the fence from the school building to Georgetown Square. Recent WJ graduate Michael Nevett took part in making the display and explained the significance of it on Facebook.

“You’ll see 298 shirts hanging on the fence along the carpool line. Each one is labeled with the age and name of a minor killed by a gun in 2018,” Nevett said.

Principal Jennifer Baker wrote an email to the PTSA email list about the display.

“This is a traveling display that represents individuals that have lost their lives through gun violence in schools during this school year,” Principal Baker said. “If you would like to see the display it will be set up this afternoon after school and remain through the end of school on the 15th.”