MetroWest Remembers Sandy Hook Shooting 6 Years Later

Six years may sound far in the past, but for the mothers of MetroWest's Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense group, the pain felt from the Sandy Hook shooting is still present. Framingham group leader, Samantha McGarry says she still remembers the fear she felt that day.

"I still remember I ran to the kitchen sink and I vomited,"she said. At the time both of her children were in Hemenway Elementary and their safety was the first thing on her mind. "I camped outside of their school that day until they go out," McGarry said.

But the worst part, she says, came that night when she had to explain to her two young kids how 26 people were killed in a school just like theirs. After that day, McGarry and hundreds of others across the country decided they wanted to advocate for gun sense and safety. Unfortunately, the tragedy didn't stop there. After the Parkland shooting in Florida, the local chapter of the Moms Demand Action began to grow and take off, working with local legislators to push gun safety legislation.

While this may not be a milestone anniversary year for the Sandy Hook shooting, it has been a big year for gun violence. A database tracking school shootings from the US Center for Homeland Defense and Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says 2018 has had the highest number of incidents ever recorded. The number of incidents this year is at 94.

McGarry said as frustrating as the year has been it has also brought some legislative wins. The 'red flag' bill was signed in July and allows the temporary removal of firearms from people considered a danger to themselves or others.

As the year comes to a close, the country remembers those young students and teachers who died in Sandy Hook. The Moms Demand Action Group of MetroWest will honor those who died with a candlelight vigil on Saturday in Holliston and hope to push the message of a safer future.

The organizer of the vigil, Mary Kinsella, says she just wants to protect the community. "This is a problem we can't ignore," she said, adding that gun violence has affected every community and should be treated as a public health threat.

The organization hopes that in 2019 they can offer more education on gun safety and partner with organizations that deal with communities who frequently experience gun violence. While the year was rife with shootings, McGarry says she and many others haven't given up hope. "We're just starting to be on the right side of history," she said. One day soon the group hopes to plan more educational events and less vigils.

The vigil will be held at the Holliston Congregational Church from 4-5 p.m. Saturday.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock