Young students protest against gun violence at Georgia Senate meeting

ATLANTA (AP) — Weeks after four people died and nine people were injured in a school shooting northeast of Atlanta, a group of elementary school students carried signs into the Georgia Capitol Thursday as lawmakers discussed legislation that would incentivize safe gun storage.

About 20 students ranging from five- to 12-years-old — joined by a few parents and teachers from an Atlanta private school — shuffled into a state Senate committee meeting to demand legislative action on gun violence.

“This is our future generation,” 11-year old Autumn Humphries said to Senate Democrats in the room and Republicans who were watching remotely. “We are the next generation. You’re acting like you don’t care.”

As the students walked out, committee Chairman Emanuel Jones, a Decatur Democrat, led the students in a chant: “No more violence! End gun violence!”

Colt Gray’s father allegedly gave the 14-year-old a semiautomatic assault rifle that he used in the Apalachee High School shooting in Winder, Georgia. Federal law doesn’t permit individuals younger than 18 to buy rifles or other long guns from licensed firearm dealers. Gray has been charged with four counts of murder and his father faces related charges.

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In addition to incentivizing safe firearm storage, Jones said he wants the committee to plan better safety protocols in schools, mental health programs and public information campaigns on gun safety to prevent children from accessing guns.

“We have to have processes and procedures in place for not just the intentional shootings, but for those that happen unintentionally as well,” Jones said.

Two of the people killed at Apalachee High School were students. Dr. Kiesha Fraser Doh, a pediatric emergency physician representing Georgia Clinicians for Gun Safety, told committee members that the number of Georgia children 17 and younger who died from gun violence increased from 78 in 2018 to 154 in 2022. Doh called for stricter measures to prevent children from getting their hands on guns.

Jones noted that states including Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas penalize those who make guns accessible to children. Democratic state Rep. Michelle Au introduced similar legislation in 2023, but it never received a vote. She has promised to reintroduce the bill in 2025.

Jorryn Butler, 18, said many of his friends buy guns from people old enough to legally purchase them. “It’s not hard” to get a gun, he said. “It’s literally right in your face.”

Last week, Georgia House speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, said lawmakers will consider policies to expand mental health care for students, detect guns before anyone enters schools with them and encourage safe gun storage.

Lawmakers in both chambers earlier this year considered legislation to encourage safe gun storage, which is shown to reduce firearm deaths and injuries among young people. Georgia’s Senate passed legislation that would exempt firearm safety devices from the state sales tax. Georgia’s House passed legislation that would offer gun owners a $300 tax credit to purchase gun safety devices, including gun safes and locks, and cover firearm safety courses. Neither bill made it through the other chamber.

Since the shooting, Democrats have advocated for safe storage laws, universal background checks and red flag laws. State Sen. David Lucas of Macon echoed fellow Democrats at the committee meeting by voicing his support for requiring background checks or pistol permits for those who purchase assault weapons.

Before the committee meeting, students crammed into a basement room at the Capitol to meet with some Democratic legislators.

“Nobody should ever give a kid a gun!” 11-year-old Maddie La Rose cried.

A young boy wore a sign around his neck that said, “No Guns! More Soccer! More Fun! No Guns!” The sign caught the eye of Democratic state Rep. Derrick Jackson.

“We just want you all just to grow up and have fun,” Jackson said. “Think about kids things, not gun things.”

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Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon