Gun violence activists' haunting video shows how to survive a school shooting

On 24 March, thousands of teens across America will descend upon Washington DC to protest against gun violence.

The event, which has been named 'March for Our Lives', has been mostly inspired by the activism of the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida last month.

To commemorate this event, Teen Vogue has launched a special editorial featuring the activists with haunting digital magazine covers.

The first sees five youngsters lying on the ground of a school corridor. They all eventually get up and walk to the front of the frame before the words "You're killing us" appear.

The next cover features Emma Gonzalez, one of the most prominent members of the movement, along with her fellow Parkland survivors Sarah Chadwick and Jaclyn Corin and Nza- Ari Khepra, who started the Wear Orange Day campaign, which aims to raise awareness about gun violence.

The quartet stands in front of an orange wall as Gonzalez tears a target in half as the #NeverAgain hashtag appears.

Additional videos have also been made by Teen Vogue which demonstrates the harrowing ordeal of a school shooting.

Five activists are featured in one video reading out text messages that students sent to their parents while a shooting was going on.

Another haunting video sees the five students demonstrate how a school should go on lockdown during a shooting, which involves simplistic tasks such as closing blinds and turning off lights.

The activists in the video advise:

Step one: Immediately get to the nearest classroom or secured space and lock the door.

Step two: Stay against the wall or move down to the floor so that the shooter can't see you when looking through the door.

Step three: Lower the blinds and keep away from the windows.

Step four: Turn off the lights so no one can see you.

Step five: Don't forget to text your mom you love her.

Teen Vogue also offered Gonzalez the chance to pen a powerful op-ed about the movement.

During her feature, she takes time to criticise the proposal from President Donald Trump, that teachers should be armed in classrooms by listing a series of logical questions.

How would arming teachers work, logistically?

Would they have to buy their own guns, or would there be armouries in schools? Would students be able to break into armories?

While teaching, would a teacher keep their weapon on their person or in a lockbox?

If it was in a lockbox on the other side of the room when a threatening person walked in, would the teacher be able to get to their gun in time?

If the threat and the teacher were in close proximity, would the threat not be able to disarm the teacher and turn the pistol on them and in turn the students?

Why would a student shooter even need to worry about metal detectors or getting patted down if they already know they can overpower the teacher and take that gun for their own use?

If the teacher wasn’t in close proximity, what would stop the teacher’s bullets from hitting other students who might be in the way and obscured by gunsmoke?

And since there was a resource or police officer on campus to help protect students and teachers why didn't that stop 17 people from getting killed and 15 from getting injured on February 14?

She concludes her piece by stating that she hopes that Saturday's March can provide a safer future for the children of the United States.

We the Wounded of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Future, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common People, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Generations to Come, do ordain and establish this March for the United States of America.

HT Teen Vogue

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