John, 

My name is Kaylee. And you may not know me, but you definitely know my high school: Columbine.

That's because what happened at Columbine — the deadliest school shooting at the time — isn't only about my school or my community. It's about an entire generation and a terrifying new normal. Columbine changed everything: Lockdowns, shelter-in-place orders, and active shooter drills are now commonplace for students all across the country from elementary to high school.

We can't erase that or the anxiety it has caused many. But we can move forward. My classmates and I grew up in the midst of the trauma our community endured — and it instilled a sense of shared responsibility to end school shootings in all of us. 

Today is the 22nd anniversary of the massacre at my high school. And in honor of that, I'm asking 5,000 gun violence prevention advocates to join with me and call on Congress to take immediate action. Sign the petition to tell Congress: Take action to stop school shootings.

Because of the pandemic, many students have been out of the classroom. And, if I'm being honest, I worry about what will happen once schools start to reopen again. Everyone is so excited to go "back to normal" — but, for my generation, deadly school shootings are a part of that "normal," too.

Since Columbine, almost 250,000 students have experienced gun violence in their schools. That's almost 250,000 families whose lives have been forever changed by these senseless tragedies. But this doesn't have to be our new normal anymore: We have a unique opportunity to pass effective change with gun safety majorities in Congress and the White House.

I don't want another school or community to endure what mine did. But deadly shootings like these will keep happening unless all of us demand accountability for decades of inaction. That's why I'm counting on you to add your name before 11:59 p.m.:

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to take action so we can stop school shootings.

Thank you, 

Kaylee Tyner
Columbine High School '19