Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Statement on Mass Shooting at Florida State University

Danbury, CT – Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence co-founder and executive director Abbey Clements released the following statement regarding media reports that two people were killed and five others were injured in a mass shooting at Florida State University. The shooting took place one day after the 18 year anniversary of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech.

“Today the students who were in my classroom at Sandy Hook and the students from our co-founder Sarah Lerner's class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas are now college-age students. They deserved a safe classroom environment in elementary and high school, and they deserve a safe learning environment at college,” said Clements “With 57 incidents of gun violence every day in America in or near schools, we must do more to create safer learning spaces for children.”

Background: According to Everytown, firearms are the leading cause of death for young people ages 18 to 20. Eighteen to 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at over triple the rate of adults 21 years and older. The Trace has reported that every day, an average of 57 shootings occur near a school in the United States.

Abbey Clements is the executive director and a Co-Founder of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence. She is a survivor teacher of the Sandy Hook School tragedy in 2012, and was an elementary educator for over 30 years. She is a strategic consultant on gun violence issues for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and a member of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence National Advisory Council. Abbey has been featured in various events, publications, and documentaries including the 2024 DNC, Newtown, If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, Bullets Into Bells, AFT Voices, USA Today, AARP, Share My Lesson, The Hill, among others.

Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence envisions a future where every school in the United States is a safe haven and a safe learning environment for every child, and where all citizens live without the fear and trauma of gun violence. Its co-founders have over 75 years teaching experience combined and two are survivors of our most horrific school shootings – Newtown and Parkland. 

April 17, 2025
Contact: Press@teachersunify.org

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