Anti-gun violence advocates recently gathered in Washington D.C. to mark 12 years since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 黑料吃瓜网.
Twenty first graders and six school employees died in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012.
Cali Taylor is a student at Newtown High School and co-chair of , a group that seeks to prevent gun violence.
鈥淢y mom was a second grade teacher at Sandy Hook School the day the tragedy happened,鈥� Taylor said.
鈥淪he was there at the time of the shooting, and by chance, she and her students were able to walk out of that building,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淢ake no mistake; their lives were changed forever. While I was not in the building that day, it has continued to impact my life.鈥�
Taylor, who was 4 years old at the time of the shooting, said at that age, she could not process what had happened. When she was in elementary school, she said she was afraid to use a bathroom in her school.
鈥淭his bathroom had a window in it, which seemed so insignificant, but for this very reason, I avoided using the bathroom whenever I could,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚 feared that someone would come in through the window while I was in there and try to harm me.
Parents who lost their children in the Sandy Hook shooting recently reflected on gun violence in conversations with 黑料吃瓜网.
Francine Wheeler鈥檚 son, Ben, was killed in the shooting. He was 6 years old.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really, really important to imagine if it was your child, or your spouse, or your mom, or dad,鈥� she told 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 鈥淭he Wheelhouse.鈥� Because it鈥檚 part of my body. It鈥檚 part of my brain. It鈥檚 part of my music. It鈥檚 part of my writing. It will never not be part of my life.鈥�
Wheeler is doing her own work to end violence, teaching kids to develop empathy, self-awareness and social connection. She founded a charity in her son鈥檚 memory, called .
Nelba Marquez-Greene's daughter, Ana, was also one of those killed.
Marquez-Greene said she's dedicated her life to raising awareness about the toll of everyday shootings and their far-reaching impact.
鈥淕un violence has been an issue in 黑料吃瓜网 for decades before Newtown,鈥� Marquez-Greene told 黑料吃瓜网. 鈥淭here are mothers and grandmothers and pastors in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New London, who have dedicated themselves to activism and it鈥檚 never gotten any legs.鈥�
Firearms are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color, . The U.S. Surgeon General has .
Marquez-Greene also hosts the Yale School of Public Health podcast "," where she continues to advocate for change.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Patrick Skahill contributed to this report.
