At Campus Safety Roundtable, Advocates Renew Calls for Gun Violence Prevention Efforts

LAS VEGAS, NV - In the wake of multiple deadly shootings on school campuses of all levels and a rise in politically-motivated violence, advocates gathered virtually on Monday to discuss gun violence prevention and the damage done by the plague of gun violence affecting our schools and universities. Nevada is no stranger to such violence, and comprehensive reform is needed to finally address the unconscionable toll of daily gun violence in America.

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Imer Cespedes-Alvarado, Founder of Youth Voice of Nevada and a UNLV student, issued the following statement:

 “I, unfortunately, was one of the thousands of students who were on campus on Dec. 6, 2023. As is well known, gun violence has been taking our lives, has been taking our loved ones. And that's why Democrats, Republicans, independents, students – after the mass shooting, we came together with a plan to have a common sense law, because, as is well known, gun violence is not only affecting Democrats or Republicans, it's affecting all Americans. And that's why it's important nowadays to have more laws that will protect us from tragedies like Dec. 6.”

Isaac Velasquez, UNLV shooting survivor, issued the following statement:

“One of the greatest dangers that we face is the ease with which firearms can be obtained. When people are angry, divided or in a crisis, turning to a gun should never be the first option. Political Violence, in my opinion, is never the answer. The foundation of our democracy is civil discourse, and that is the ability to exchange ideas, to disagree and to debate without fear of violence. We cannot allow ourselves to grow desensitized to these tragedies. They are not abstract statistics. They are human lives that form families and communities. We cannot allow them to be irreparably torn apart.”

Crystal Cooper, Southern Nevada President for 50501, issued the following statement:

 “[On Dec. 6, 2023], I remember wondering, is my friend gonna be okay? Is she gonna be alive? I remember hearing my heartbeat – and I was there just to pick up a friend. What we need is purposeful gun reform. No parent, no student should ever have to go through that. No one should ever have to go through that. And I really hope this next legislative session, we can get some purposeful gun reform.”

Marisa Marano, Route 91 shooting survivor, issued the following statement:

“Back to school should never mean back to school shootings. However, year after year after year, it's what occurs. It's also my fear. I send my children to school. I watch the pictures of my nieces, nephews, my friends' children going to school. They might never come home. They might be shot at. They practice hiding under desks, because that's become our norm. It's turned into a question of when, rather than why, comprehensive gun reform is needed to address the incomprehensible toll of gun violence in our nation. We need our leaders to hear us. Over a year ago, three bills were passed in the state of Nevada. Our governor vetoed three, three common sense [pieces of] legislation. That can't happen, that shouldn’t happen. Our children will die if it continues to happen.”

Katie Sanchez, Digital Organizer with Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“Gun violence is an issue I take personally. The first time I experienced its impact was in 2013, when I was a sophomore at Sparks High School. Our community was shaken when a 12-year-old child took his parents’ semi-automatic gun and opened fire at Sparks Middle School. We witnessed the terror unfold and stood by as a veteran and math teacher, Michael Landsberry, sacrificed his life to protect his students. He survived deployment, only to die at a middle school. That should have been our final straw. Gun reform should have been something we all rallied around. Yet here we are, twelve years and multiple mass shootings later, and still, no meaningful change.”

Mark Riffenburg, Executive Director of NewVote Nevada, issued the following statement:

“Whether it's at an individual or systemic level, political violence is an incredibly dangerous thing. It stokes division in communities, it tears families apart, and it makes us all less safe. Each new incident takes us further from the ideals that we aspire to as Americans for so many years, and it threatens our democracy. On college campuses here in Nevada, you’ll see the best of that democracy. It’s young Nevadans who are hungry to learn and engage with one another peacefully, whether they agree or disagree on the issues or whether they like each other or not. I believe in our Nevada community, and I hope that in the days that follow, we will recommit to that peaceful engagement while staying vigilant for attempts to use acts of violence to scapegoat our neighbors or turn Nevadans against one another. In this moment, we can and we must come together to move forward.”

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