A local chapter of a gun control group that sprang up after the Sandy Hook school shootings is gaining steam in Charlottesville. Unfortunately, that’s partly due to the latest mass shooting at a school.
Priya Mahadevan is the head of Charlottesville’s chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in
America. She has three kids, and wants people to see what she says is the connection between the National Rifle Association, Congress and school violence.
“We also want better representatives in government for us, who will not be working for the NRA, but will be working for us,” says Mahadevan. “I know that majority of constituents want safer places for our children and for the community.”
After hearing of the 17 students killed in Parkland, Florida, she organized a rally downtown this past weekend that 150 people attended.
“It speaks for the people’s frustration and everybody’s had enough,” says Mahadevan. “The only problem is after every such tragedy people want to do something and they think it’s a one-day thing that they can do and then get back to their lives.”
The group is pushing for universal background checks and other gun control legislation.
The moves come as area high schools ready their participation in a national walkout day of protest on March 14th. It also comes as numerous Virginia schools reported threats on Monday and saw an uptick in police presence.