Holding Parents Accountable: A Call for Preventive Measures to Combat School Shootings
COMMENTARY
As the president of Stand with Parkland — a group I helped found after my 14-year-old daughter was murdered in her school, along with 13 schoolmates and three staff members on Valentine’s Day of 2018 — I am haunted by the continued shockwaves each school shooting has on the lives of the victims’ families, surviving students, teachers and communities.
The 2021 tragedy in Michigan, where four innocent lives were cut short, serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need for proactive measures to prevent such senseless acts, and accountability is part of the solution.
Our hearts ache for the victims and their families as they navigate through this unfathomable pain we know all too well. We stand in solidarity with them, offering our unwavering support and commitment to advocacy. But solidarity alone is not sufficient.
We must translate our grief into action and demand tangible change.
The sentencing of the parents of the Michigan school shooter underscores the gravity of their negligence and the devastating consequences of their actions. By withholding vital information that could have averted this tragedy, they failed not only their own child but also the innocent victims and their families. This verdict serves as a crucial step towards accountability in the fight to prevent gun violence. Firearms must be securely stored where unauthorized individuals cannot access these potentially deadly weapons.
Accountability alone is not enough.
We must address the root causes of these atrocities and implement comprehensive measures to prevent them from occurring in the first place. School officials, mental health professionals and law enforcement must work in unison to improve communication channels to identify and intervene with individuals at risk of committing acts of violence.
At this time, it is the responsibility of policymakers, communities and individuals alike to come together to ensure that tragedies like these never happen again. We owe it to the victims, their families and future generations to create safer environments where our children can learn and thrive without fear.
That’s why Stand with Parkland has remained specifically committed to our mission in the school safety triad: enhancing the physical security of each school campus; improving mental health screening and support programs; and responsible firearms ownership. By making strides in these three areas, we can make it safer to send our children and staff to a place for learning without fear of violence.
Let us honor the memories of those taken from us too soon by standing united in our resolve to prevent further senseless acts of violence. Together, we can make our schools and communities safer and build a future where every child can fulfill their potential and live their lives without the threat of gun violence looming overhead.
Tony Montalto is the father of forever 14-year-old Gina Rose Montalto, who was a victim at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre on Feb. 14, 2018. From this tragedy he and the families of the other victims founded Stand with Parkland — The National Association of Families for Safe Schools. The organization promotes a unique, inclusive and all-encompassing approach to safer schools by advocating for improved campus safety, improved mental health programs, and responsible firearm ownership on the federal and state levels. To honor his daughter, he is also president of the Gina Rose Montalto Memorial Foundation, Inc. He and his wife, Jennifer, established this foundation to keep Gina’s light shining by helping others through scholarships and awards. You can reach SWP on Twitter/X.
