OCEAN CITY – According to a report published in The Press of Atlantic City, about a dozen students walked out of Ocean City High School, April 5, as part of a national walkout to protest gun violence in schools.
The walkout, sponsored by the group Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was a protest in the wake of the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, March 27, where three 9-year-olds and three adults were killed by a lone shooter.
According to the organization’s website, there were walkouts at more than 300 schools in 42 states April 5.
Per The Press’ article, Ocean City Schools Superintendent Matt Friedman described the walkout at the high school as “benign.” The article quoted Friedman as saying the students who took part in the walkout, which only lasted a short time, would not be disciplined.
The Students Demand Action website says there have been 39 incidents of gunfire on school grounds so far in 2023, resulting in 17 deaths and 30 injuries. The group is attempting to combat gun violence not only in schools but also in homes, neighborhoods, and other parts of the community. The website says legislators are attempting to roll back gun laws designed to protect citizens from gun violence.
According to a statement issued by Ocean City High School student organizer Ashley McGarvey, when she heard about the walkout, she wanted to participate.
“Even with short notice, the main reason I wanted to do this was because I know how important gun safety is, and through many different media platforms, I’ve heard how many school shootings there have been just since the start of 2023,” she said. “It’s not fair that people have to lose their children and loved ones over something that can be stopped. So many innocent and young children have died, and so many others are scared or worried about just going to school. All because people are not using their guns in the way they should.”
McGarvey, a freshman, had only learned about Students Demand Action when she attended a concert by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, who encouraged people to sign up for the walkout.
“I realized he had the right idea and that others needed to care enough for kids to take a stand. We need more people to speak up for kids and actually take action to fix this fixable problem,” she said.
McGarvey’s grandmother, Suzanne Conrad, forwarded McGarvey’s comments to the Herald. She said McGarvey only heard about the walkout a few days before and went into action.
Conrad said her granddaughter went to the principal and got the OK to stage the walkout, which essentially was a walk around the school track under the watch of faculty members. Conrad said McGarvey is no stranger to the topic of gun violence.
“She is a granddaughter of mine and has been hearing about these kinds of things like this for a while, and she thought she could do something about it,” Conrad said.
Conrad said McGarvey’s parents have participated in “stop the guns” walks and her granddaughter participated in those, as well.
Conrad said a teacher took a picture she provided to the Herald.
To contact the author, Christopher South, email csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
