Latest news with #MarjoryStonemanDouglasHighSchool
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Schools could soon deploy a ‘campus guardian angel' drone defense system against shootings
Florida schools could soon deploy the 'Campus Guardian Angel' drone system to help police defend against shootings. School shootings are prevalent in America, especially in states such as Florida. The state has documented more than 60 school shooting incidents since 2018, local ABC affiliate WTXL reported, citing the K-12 School Shooting Database. Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in February 2018. A total of 17 people were killed and 17 more were injured. Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The new drone technology could help prevent such tragedies by deploying drones to schools in seconds and providing police with immediate situational awareness, according to WTXL, which reported on the program. On Monday, the program was demonstrated at the Leon County Schools District Security Center. The drones live-streamed video, and one even knocked down a dummy to show its ability to use force to delay a threat. The pilot program has $557,000 in state funding behind it, but Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna told WTXL the cost to fully implement the system past the pilot could be more than $1 million. 'I think anytime you make an investment you have to think of the return on that investment. So, as we are hiring an additional deputy sheriff in all of our high schools, so we have security monitors in all of our schools,' Hanna said. He continued: 'We have a weapons detection dog—that comes with the price tag. We have AI software in our cameras. All that comes at a price point, and so it's us managing that budget and trying to figure out where we're getting the biggest bang for our buck.' The state funding for the pilot program will cover its implementation in three school districts, according to the local outlet. Leon County is being considered. In April, some of the students who survived the Parkland shooting had to endure another school shooting at Florida State University. The suspected gunman, Phoenix Ikner, has been accused of killing two people and injuring six more. His defense attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Time Magazine
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Parkland Shooting Survivor Jaclyn Corin Calls Out AG Pam Bondi
On Valentine's Day 2018, Jaclyn Corin, now 24, sheltered in a classroom while a former student shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School—including Corin's 14-year-old friend Jaime Guttenberg—and wounded 17 more. In the wake of what came to be known as the Parkland shooting, Corin, then a junior and her class president, helped organize a two-day trip for 100 students to Florida's capital city Tallahassee to press elected officials for gun-safety reform and co-founded the organization March For Our Lives. On March 24, 2018, an estimated 800,000 people joined the first march in Washington, D.C., while 800 other marches took place around the U.S. Since then, Corin has completed degrees at Harvard and Oxford, interned at the Biden White House, and had a brief stint as management consultant. Earlier this year she was appointed executive director of March For Our Lives. She talked to TIME from D.C. about the way the gun lobby and resistance movements have changed and why the group is organizing a social media, petition, and advertising campaign calling out 'Parkland Pam,' the U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. You've recently taken over the leadership of the organization you co-founded. What are you hoping to achieve? The gun-violence-prevention movement has evolved significantly since 2018. We have been able to accomplish a lot; over 300 gun-safety laws were passed on the state level, the NRA was effectively bankrupted, and young people really started to prioritize gun-violence prevention as a key political issue. But as urgency faded in the public eye, in some ways, the crisis deepened. In the time of all the federal progress, we saw the gun lobby adapting. It moved away from the NRA bluster and towards a quieter, more dangerous strategy, of dismantling enforcement and targeting vulnerable communities with militarized marketing. So we are focusing on accountability, going back to the real human impacts of this issue, so as to not let those we've lost or been damaged by this issue go forgotten. Do you see the NRA as defanged permanently or just dealing with a setback? March For Our Lives played a major role in taking down the NRA. We exposed their corruption. We filed a legal complaint that led to Wayne LaPierre's downfall, and since we marched in 2018 they've lost over a million members and nearly half of their revenue, but the larger infrastructure of the gun lobby has not weakened. It has diversified and become more difficult to track. The most alarming shift is the lobby's strategic focus on eroding enforcement. The absence of enforcement, especially under attorneys general like Pam Bondi, has created a de facto deregulation that makes it easier for illegal gun dealers, domestic abusers, and others to access deadly weapons when they shouldn't. U.S. Attorney General Bondi was the attorney general of Florida at the time of the Parkland shooting. Did you meet with her in the aftermath? Yes. One week after the shooting, I sat across from Pam Bondi with nine friends as a grieving 17-year-old, still processing the loss of my classmates, and she looked us in the eye and told us she was with us. I was disturbed that she kept moving the conversation from guns to a hollow school-safety message, and yet, because of the political conditions and conversation in Florida, she ended up publicly supporting measures like red-flag laws and raising the age to buy a firearm in Florida from 18 to 21. But once the cameras were gone and her political career advanced, she quietly reversed course. Have you asked her about the differences between the Florida legislation that she endorsed and the types of rules that she's endorsing now? I wrote her a letter, and we sent it to her team last week, but we have yet to receive a response. We are initiating a campaign to publicly showcase the hypocrisy she has demonstrated. It's not about vengeance, but rather accountability: if she's not willing to meet with us and reckon with the promises she made back in 2018, then we will continue to call out the discrepancies in what she has claimed she will deliver and what she is actually doing. What were the promises she made in 2018? She didn't make specific promises in our meeting, but publicly, she did advertise her fervent support of those red-flag laws and raising the age to buy a firearm, and more than that, she consistently reiterated her commitment to supporting victims and families. I couldn't think of a worse way to support victims and families than to destroy all of the progress the gun-violence-prevention movement has made over the last few years. [TIME's request for comment to the Attorney General's office went unanswered.] Is there a reason you call out Bondi over somebody like Senator Rick Scott, who was governor of Florida then, and passed some of those red-flag laws? Rick Scott is certainly on my sh-t list, but Pam Bondi represents a unique and deeply personal betrayal, both for me and the Parkland community at large. She was the first official I met with formally after the shooting. And her words carried weight for me because they were delivered directly to survivors in this moment of both national and personal crisis. She [publicly] made specific commitments, and then actively dismantled the very safeguards she once said she supported. Can you name two or three things that she has done since becoming U.S. Attorney General that you feel are a betrayal of the assurances she gave you? She has supported budget cuts to the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms]. She has destroyed funding for community-based violence-intervention programs that are proven to reduce gun violence in the communities most impacted by it, and she has gotten rid of the ATF zero-tolerance enforcement policy for rogue gun dealers who repeatedly break the law and supply weapons used in crimes. Back in 2018 she constantly reiterated that she wanted to make sure that rogue gun dealers didn't get away with literal murder, but now she is dismantling the policies that would make that possible. Governor Ron DeSantis said recently that he wants to repeal Florida's red-flag laws. Does that alarm you? It's true that Ron DeSantis has tried to push for the repeal of red-flag laws and reduce the age to buy a firearm back down from 21 to 18. So in response to that threat, which happened to occur around the time of the shooting at Florida State University, where a number of Parkland survivors then survived their second mass shooting, March For Our Lives convened a group of folks from both Parkland and the FSU community to sign a letter to DeSantis, demanding that he veto that legislation to roll back the progress we made if it were to ever reach his desk. How do you stay positive and hopeful when you see the kind of progress that you made being whittled away? It's devastating. I can't lie. There are days where I'm so exhausted and feel defeated. But for every elected official who breaks their promises, I've met dozens of young people who have proceeded to organize voter drives or start local coalitions or show up to town halls and begin conversations with their friends and community about what public safety should look like. Are you in touch with other survivors? Do you guys hang? I think surviving a mass shooting breeds closeness that can't be replicated. So I have stayed in close touch with many people, David Hogg included. Those friendships definitely make the aftereffects of experiencing a trauma like that a bit lighter. How many have moved on to other things? Most of the other co-founders of MFOL have moved on to other things. There are two co-founders, one of them being David, who are still heavily involved with the organization. Sometimes it's hard to be in a space like this for so long and stay personally committed to the mission to end gun violence. So they just exercise that commitment differently in their lives. Is there something that keeps you awake at night about the outlook for your generation or among your peers? I think there is a disillusionment among my generation with regard to American politics. By the time many of us hit 30, Donald Trump will have had influence over our politics for nearly half of our lives. We've grown up in a society where that is the case and where we feel like many of our efforts—whether voting or organizing or talking to family members—go nowhere. But that's part of why I wanted to come back to lead March For Our Lives, because I think we can reinvigorate our generation so long as we are calling out the people who are doing us wrong as much as we are lifting up one another and inspiring true hope. I think seeing one person step up and make a difference makes all the difference in inspiring others to do the same. With the benefit of seven years' hindsight, is there anything you would do differently now in the immediate aftermath of the shooting? That's a hard one to answer, because on the one hand, the raw authenticity and pure anger that was at the forefront of all of our communications back then made March For Our Lives so compelling. We were kids, 14, 15, 16, 17 years old, who were speaking from the heart and not delivering polished talking points. But I suppose in hindsight, I would tell both myself and all of us that progress is going to take a long time. We genuinely thought that we were going to end gun violence within a year or two. So I would tell us to slow down a little bit and celebrate even the slight progress we were able to make. That potentially would have helped me close my computer at a reasonable time of night. I know that David Hogg and X Gonzalez attracted a lot of criticism and even harassment. Has any of that come your way? X and David were the main two faces of the movement, but I personally experienced a number of death threats. I had the FBI on the speed dial. Getting involved in the gun-violence-prevention movement is scary, because I know what comes with putting your name out there. And I know so many women especially experience unique, horrific threats when they are to speak out for what they believe in. But there are thousands of innocent Americans, many of them children, who never got the chance to speak out about gun violence before their life was ended by it, so I am committing to continuing the fight. You went to Harvard for your undergraduate and Oxford for your master's. The world was your oyster. Was there a little bit of you that was like, do I go back to this gun-violence space? It's such a difficult issue and it attracts a lot of negative attention. At Harvard, there's a competitiveness that blooms in the air where, if you don't join McKinsey, Bain, or BCG or have an active plan to go to law school, then you are failing. Immediately after I graduated from Harvard, I was a White House intern for the Biden Administration, and I had secured a job in management consulting [after graduation] a month into my time at Oxford. I worked in management consulting, in a public-sector department. I hated it, because it felt like I was not contributing to something bigger than me. And I recognized about myself that I wanted to have my hands on the clay and play an active role in molding it. So when the opportunity arose to lead March For Our Lives into its next chapter, I quit my consulting job at the six-month mark, and I am not regretful. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now in my life.
Time Magazine
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time Magazine
Citigroup Reverses Its Firearms Policy Months After Trump Called Out U.S. Banks. Here's What to Know
Citigroup has reversed its policy restricting banking services to retail clients selling firearms, ending the practice that was put into place in 2018. In a statement shared on June 3, the bank said that the decision had been made in response to concerns raised over 'fair access' to banking services. As a result, Citigroup said it would 'no longer have a specific policy as it relates to firearms.' The reversal comes after criticism from President Donald Trump and other conservatives regarding 'de-banking,' citing what they believe to be unfair practices from U.S. banks preventing conservatives from using their services. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos virtually in January, Trump said: 'Many conservatives complain that the banks are not allowing them to do business,' taking aim at U.S. bank CEOs. Here's what to know about Citigroup's reversal and how it fits into wider discussions about banks and politics in America. What firearms policy did Citigroup reverse? Citigroup outlined the specifics of its previous restrictions, saying: 'Our U.S. Commercial Firearms Policy was implemented in 2018 and pertained to sale of firearms by our retail clients and partners. The policy was intended to promote the adoption of best sales practices as prudent risk management and didn't address the manufacturing of firearms.' Since 2018, Citigroup had restricted its services to retail clients selling firearms, requiring them to adhere to three practices. Under the policy, 'new retail sector clients or partners,' clients could not sell firearms to those who hadn't passed a background check, had to restrict the sale of firearms for individuals under 21, and could not sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. In its June 3 update, the bank said that after reviewing its policies, it will be updating its "Employee Code of Conduct" and its "customer-facing Global Financial Access Policy," to clearly state that the Citigroup does "not discriminate on the basis of political affiliation." 'These changes reinforce our commitment to serve all clients fairly, and we will continue to work with regulators and elected officials on ways to improve transparency and trust in the banking sector,' the statement continued. Why did Citigroup initially put the firearms policy into place? The banking service introduced new restrictions in March 2018 following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Feb. 14 of that year, which left 17 people dead. The shooter, Nikolas Cruz, aged 19 at the time, was able to obtain firearms after a background check, despite previous warning signs. Both Cruz's age and circumstances were addressed in Citigroup's firearm policy. Not allowing retailers to sell bump stocks was also included in the bank's 2018 policy, after the device was used during a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. A bump stock allows semi-automatic rifles to fire at a higher rate, and were banned by the Trump Administration in December 2018. However, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this ban in 2024. After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, investment management firm BlackRock also announced that it would be asking for further details and information on business practices from firearms manufacturers and retailers. In April 2018, Bank of America said that it would be restricting firearms-related business and would stop lending money to manufacturers that make military-inspired weapons to be used by civilians. In particular, Bank of America started to wind down relationships with manufacturers that produced AR-15 style rifles that have been used in mass shootings. In 2024, Bank of America loosened some of its restrictions surrounding lending to the firearms and energy industries, amid pressure from politicians in Texas and Florida. What grievances have Trump and high-profile conservatives aired with U.S. banks? Criticism amongst conservatives and Republicans have long been aimed at banking institutions for imposing restrictions on firearms and other issues. In 2022, a number of conservative-led states considered a number of new bills, with some passing, penalizing banks for such policies. According to Reuters, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs were all sidelined by state law that barred firms from the municipal bond market if they were found to 'discriminate' against the firearms industry in the state. In April 2024, over a dozen Republican state attorneys general addressed a letter to The Bank of America, raising their concerns with the bank's 'de-banking policies and practices threaten the company's financial health, its reputation with customers, our nation's economy, and the civil liberties of everyday Americans.' Within the letter, Bank of America was criticized for 'systemic biases' against political views. The letter cited a report in which the bank is said to have shared a list with the FBI of anyone who had bought a firearm with a credit or debit card from the bank in Washington, D.C., in the days surrounding the Capitol Riots on Jan. 6, 2021. 'We are shocked that Bank of America would so cavalierly disregard its customers' privacy and their First, Second, and Fourth Amendment rights at the behest of the federal government,' the letter continued. Shortly after his inauguration in January, Trump launched criticism at banks, in particular at the Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, during a virtual appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Speaking directly to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, Trump said: 'The Bank of America, they don't take conservative business… you, Jamie (Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase) and everybody, I hope you're going to open your banks to conservatives because what you're doing is wrong.' In response, Bank of America said that it 'welcomes conservatives' as part of the 70 million customers that it serves. 'We would never close accounts for political reasons and don't have a political litmus test,' the bank said in a statement after Trump's remarks. Elsewhere, the Trump Organization sued Capitol One in March, accusing the bank of closing hundreds of accounts belonging to the company. In its complaint, the Trump Organization said it believes 'that Capital One's unilateral decision came about as a result of political and social motivations and Capital One's unsubstantiated, 'woke' beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views.' The complaint argued that Capitol One's decision was 'part of a growing trend by financial institutions in the United States of America to cut off a consumer's access to banking services if their political views contradict with those of the financial institution.' Capitol One responded, requesting that the lawsuit be thrown out, and in turn arguing that the Trump Organization's complaint 'fails to provide any factual or legal support for the claims asserted, requiring dismissal on several grounds.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Byron Donalds says he supports repealing Florida's red-flag law
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a GOP candidate for Florida governor, wants to repeal the "red-flag" law. Byron Donalds says 'job one' for him if elected governor of Florida next year would be the repeal two provisions of the gun-safety package passed by the Florida Legislature following the shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. However, so does Ron DeSantis, and the two measures in question — the state's 'red-flag' law and the ban on individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing a long gun — very much remain the law of the land in Florida. Donalds appeared Thursday on the Bob Rose Show in Gainesville, where he was asked if he would push for Florida to legalize the open carrying of firearms, another idea the governor has said he supports but which the Legislature has not enacted. 'I would support and push for that, but I think that the bigger thing that we need to get done is really unwinding the red flag laws in our state,' Donalds said. 'When I was in the Legislature, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas bill came through the Legislature. I was a freshman at that time and I opposed that legislation. And I opposed it because I thought that red flag laws really did take away your Fifth Amendment rights as a citizen, and I also felt that there should not be a two-tier system for adults between the ages of 18 and 21. 'I felt that was wrong then, and I still feel that way, so I would tell you that making sure that those two provisions — those constitutional rights are actually restored will probably be job one.' Formally known as risk-protection orders, the red flag law allows courts to order someone to surrender their firearms if they pose a threat to themselves or others. Former Panhandle Republican Joel Rudman filed a measure to repeal that law late last year, but he resigned to run for Congress in January, and his legislation was never picked up by any of his colleagues during this session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis signs law allowing child care center employees to undergo training to carry guns
Employees of child care centers would have to undergo a 144-hour training as part of the expanded school guardian program (Getty Images) Child care center employees can undergo training to carry guns at work under a law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Wednesday. The change is part of an expansion of the school guardian program that already allows public and private school employees to act as law enforcement when an active shooter enters their campus. The Florida Legislature established the program after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. Currently, 53 counties participate in the program, which requires volunteer school employees to undergo a 144-hour training, according to a legislative analysis of the bill, SB 1470, which lawmakers passed unanimously. 'I think that's going to be something that people are going to like,' DeSantis said of the program expansion during a Wednesday press conference at Winter Haven Senior High. Additionally, the law revises school door locking requirements, appeasing sheriffs' concerns. The new law allows classrooms to use temporary locks, requires school safety protocol to apply for 30 minutes before and after school, and exempts door locking for career and technical education classrooms where ventilation is required. 'I think what the Legislature did is they tweaked this. They made sure that, yes, we want to be able to create blocks to keep bad guys out, but we also want it to be practical,' the governor said. 'We want to make sure people are able to do their daily tasks and get to where they need to go.' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd previously told Florida Phoenix that the door-locking law passed in 2024 was 'clunky and difficult to understand and easy to violate it even without the intent to violate it.' DeSantis signed two other bills. HB 279 brings harsher penalties for false reporting of a crime, and HB 1099 gives police officers discretion over whether they should immediately arrest someone in a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
