Two years ago, our hearts broke as 17 lives were senselessly stolen.

17 futures ended. 

17 unexpected last goodbyes. 

17 families torn apart. 

The Parkland community is forever changed. 17 more were injured and are still learning to live with their wounds. Others have wounds that are invisible but run deep, and in the months that followed we lost 2 more lives. We remember them, too.

Our work to prevent gun violence is for them, in their honor. No community should have to go through a mass shooting or the relentless type of everyday shooting that doesn’t grab headlines. Regardless of your politics, we can all agree that the lives of these 19, as well as the nearly 80,000 Americans lost to gun violence since, were cut short far too soon. 

Our heartbreak will last far beyond today. We expect that it will never go away. It’s felt by our community every day. It's felt every time a headline of another death by gun violence pops up on social media. And it’s especially felt during this difficult week for MSD Eagles all over the country.

We honor the 17 + 2 with action today and every day and wish the entire MSD community peace and strength during this difficult time.