[On Friday, Dec. 6], Princeton High School went into shelter-in-place after the district received a threat to the school, ironically cutting our March For Our Lives PHS chapter meeting short.
Thankfully, the police determined that there was no imminent danger to PHS. However, the fact that this threat could easily have been real speaks to the magnitude of the problem of gun violence in our nation.
As our March for Our Lives state chapter tweeted out, “this is just a small reminder of what life is like for American students. We are not safe and we need change.” This is true everywhere because gun violence can happen anywhere in this country, even somewhere deemed safe like Princeton.
This is why we need common-sense gun laws, both in New Jersey and nationally. This includes raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm in New Jersey to 21, as no teenager should have access to a weapon. The fact that 80% of New Jersey’s gun deaths are caused by guns from out of state demonstrates the necessity of comprehensive gun control legislation at the federal level as well, including banning assault weapons and strengthening background checks. Otherwise, the threat of gun violence and school shootings will not go away.
We are grateful to the Princeton Public Schools and the police for responding so immediately to ensure our safety.
March For Our Lives
Princeton
