Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – A student from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School called out D.C.Police Chief Peter Newsham Thursday at a rally on gun violence with kids at Anacostia’s Thurgood Marshall Academy. Two Marshall students were shot to death in the past year off school property, and students from the schools came together in solidarity to call for gun reform.
Parkland massacre survivor Alfonso Calderon said he was angry and motivated after sitting in on a meeting with Newsham Thursday.
“He talked about all the issues that he thinks he’s facing, but not once did he talk about the people of this community. Not once did he talk about gang violence, or people who are losing their lives every single day for absolutely no reason,” Calderon said.
Marshall senior Zion Kelly’s twin brother Zaire was killed last September during an attempted robbery near 13th and Downing Street. He was 16-years-old.
In a separate incident in January, 19-year-old Marshall student Paris Brown was shot to death on Skyland Place.
Kelly said at a town hall meeting two days ago D.C. officials told Marshall students that their voices mattered, and they would have the chance to speak their minds and propose solutions.
“They didn’t even give us the opportunity to speak and express our opinions,” Kelly told the crowd.
Calderon said if he gets to talk to Newsham again, “He sure as hell should know I’m gonna bring some of you guys with me.”
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School student Cameron Kasky told the Marshall students they were there to listen to them and learn from them.
“If I were a politician who were ignoring the real issues, I would not want to mess with kids from Thurgood Marshall,” Kasky said.
Another survivor of the Valentine’s Day shooting, David Hogg said with all the gun violence in D.C. you would think politicians would take action. He told Marshall students that they need to work together as a unified front to solve the problem.
Students from both schools will be marching Saturday in the March for Our Lives.
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