Two years ago, my family experienced a horrific pain and loss that no family should ever have to experience. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

John –

Two years ago, my family experienced a horrific pain and loss that no family should ever have to experience: My daughter, Carmen, was senselessly murdered in her classroom at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I’m reaching out to make sure you saw my son Robert’s message and share my own.

I’ll be honest, I almost can’t breathe on the days around Valentine’s. Some days, I’m strong. Some days I can fight. But today will never be easy.

Even though two years have passed, I still struggle to grasp it – like when people ask how many kids I have. I once tried “I have one in college, one here with me, and one in heaven” – but that didn't feel right, either. I’m still looking for a way to answer that question.

Carmen was killed just a week before she turned 17. She dreamed of becoming a scientist and working to cure the neurodegenerative disease ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s excruciating to know that her murder could have been prevented – that I could still have Carmen here with me – if clear warning signs about the shooter hadn’t fallen “through the cracks” and extreme risk laws had been in place.

But that’s not my reality. I have to fight every day to make sure I’m doing everything I can so no mother will ever go through what I’ve been through and lose their Carmen.

Today, I’m asking you to stand with me to create that change by helping Brady. In honor of my daughter and lives taken from us two years ago, please, will you sign the petition to demand Congress prevent school shootings?

Today, I’ll hug my family close. But tomorrow, I’ll be back out there fighting.

We need you in this fight.

April Schentrup

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Robert Schentrup
Date: Fri, Feb 14, 2020
Subject: How I remember my sister
 

John,

Two years ago today, my sister Carmen was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida – shot four times by a gunman in her classroom while simply attending school.

 

Robert Schentrup and his sister, Carmen, as children on the street they grew up on
Robert Schentrup and his sister, Carmen, as children on the street they grew up on.

It’s hard to put words to the wrenching heartbreak that followed. I remember feeling an overwhelming emptiness ... part of me had been ripped away that I’ll never get back. I could only break down and sob. Carmen is gone forever, and my family and I will never be the same – all because a weapon of war got into the hands of someone who should never have had one.

No family in this country should ever have to endure the pain of losing a loved one in a horrific massacre like what happened in Parkland – and I’m working alongside Brady to make sure this never happens again.

I’ll be blunt: This isn’t work I would necessarily have chosen. I was a college freshman when I lost Carmen. But all the work I do – traveling across the country to testify for lawmakers from Colorado to Pennsylvania to the U.S. Senate, working with Brady to launch their youth-led lobby collective in Florida, and writing op-eds to bring people together to take action – I’m doing it for Carmen. I’m doing it because I don’t know how I’d carry on without trying to keep these shootings from happening again. I’m doing it because, truthfully, it’s the only way I know how to cope.

But in doing this work alongside Brady, something happened: I realized that we could take action into our own hands and fight for common-sense gun-safety legislation in Florida and across the country.

That’s why I’m personally asking you right now:  

Will you stand with me and call on Congress to prevent school shootings?

Hope spreads quickly, John. It starts small until suddenly millions of students are marching for change. Millions are urging their lawmakers to take action. I’ve seen what we can do together: Our fight won’t stop anytime soon – and that’s why I’m asking you to join Brady today. 

Robert Schentrup