LANSING (WWJ) – Two weeks after three Michigan State University students were killed and five others were injured by a gunman on campus, students gathered Monday at the state Capitol to call for change.
Last week hundreds gathered on the lawn of the Capitol in a similar rally. While Monday’s wintry weather limited the crowd, WWJ’s Jon Hewett reports about 50 MSU students gathered inside, speaking with passion as they call for gun reform legislation to be passed in the wake of the shooting.
Among the students speaking out Monday was Jackie Matthews, who survived the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
“How many more bullets must we dodge? How many more prayers and thoughts can we receive before we see change that protects us?” Matthews asked. “To my Spartans and East Lansing community, we stand as one. We need to keep fighting. We cannot back down.”
MSU junior Charlotte Plotsky, meanwhile, pledged to use her vote to remove lawmakers from office who won’t pass gun reform legislation.
“If you’re a Republican who wants to keep taking hush money from the NRA, we will vote you out,” she said. “If you’re more concerned about stripping away rights of the LGBTQ community than the uniquely American problem that is gun violence, we will be voting you out. If you claim to be pro-life and continue to watch us die, we will vote you out.”
Joining the students on Monday was U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who vowed to fight for meaningful change.
“I don’t know what to say to you other than this whole thing is crazy. It’s crazy,” Stabenow said. “This should have been addressed a long time ago. You have every right to feel angry and every right to feel horrified and to be heartbroken. But we know it’s not enough because we have to act.”
In addition to promises of gun reform legislation on the state level, Stabenow says she’d like to see a national ban on assault weapons, in addition to closing the “gun show loophole,” which does not require sellers or buyers to provide background checks.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks also spoke Monday, saying legislation has already been introduced in the Senate and will be coming to the House this week.
Proposed legislation is seeking to bring universal background checks, safe storage bills, and extreme risk protection orders – otherwise known as “red flag laws,” which could allow families and law enforcement to temporarily restrict people exhibiting risk factors of carrying out attacks from accessing guns.
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