SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Friday is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, coming after multiple shootings in Sacramento County left two people dead and others injured all in the span of of 24 hours.
The United States is close to seeing 18,000 gun violence deaths so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which also predicts the U.S. will break its record for mass killings.
Students Demand Action, a group made up of student activists, gathered at the state capitol Wednesday to support bills they think would help end gun violence. One student who immigrated from Nigeria gave an impassioned speech on the steps of the capitol.
“I immigrated from my country to America to feel safe,” she said, going on to express how she now fears for her life.
The president of Student Demand Action at Cosumnes Oaks High School also spoke.
“We shouldn’t have to be thinking about escape routes in our classrooms every day at school. We shouldn’t have to experience lock downs and be in fear 24/7,” she said.
The students gathered on the steps of the state capitol, demanding action to end gun violence.
“I have younger siblings I have a young brother who is 1-year-old and I cannot imagine many other immigrant children who leave their country to come to America for a better education, for a better future, to make a change and we have to fight for our lives as children," said one speaker.
Nonprofit Everytown For Gun Safety estimates 19,000 kids are shot and 3 million are exposed to gun violence each year in the U.S.
“It’s summer time we are supposed to be outside relaxing swimming and we are here demanding action for a cause that should have been subsided a long time ago,” said another student.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office they seen a spike in gun violence during the warmer months.
The community still recovering from the death of an 18-year-old shot who was killed hours before graduation.
Activist Berry Accius is afraid tragedies like this will continue without proper funding for intervention and prevention programs targeted for youth.
“No one cares enough when you really truly care we are not going to be at these moments and if you look at the trend in America the violence and gun violence is trending nationally look at the cities where are young people are screaming and crying for help,” said Accius.
Sacramento County activists are asking to be included in the Public Safety Budget and for built in programming funds rather than having to ask every year.
