EDUCATION

Julia Brownley to host student town hall on gun safety

Alexa D'Angelo
Ventura

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley will host a student town hall meeting on gun safety for the Ventura County’s high school students to share their thoughts and perspectives on gun violence.

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village, spoke at the March Four Our Lives Ventura event last month to a crowd of students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members who were taking a stand against gun violence in schools.

The event will take place April 21 at the Ventura County Office of Education. To attend, students must bring their school ID and a release form signed by a parent or guardian. Parents and guardians are also welcome to attend with their children, but the conversation will be focused on the students’ stories and questions.

Students are expected to walk out of school on April 20 in honor of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado. This would be latest in a series of student-led demonstrations since the shooting in Parkland, Florida, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 and rattled the nation.

“Our nation has faced far too many tragedies where guns were in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them, and it’s clear that Congress must do more to prevent this senseless gun violence,” Brownley, D-Westlake Village, said in the event details on her website. “Since the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida, we have seen an unprecedented wave of student-led activism around gun safety. These courageous young people have awakened our national conscience and are spurring action both locally and nationally. Students are pushing for change, and I want to hear from as many of them as possible.”

The town hall meeting will be from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Ventura County Office of Education, 5100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. For more information and to RSVP, visit juliabrownley.house.gov/Events.