One Year After the Shooting at University of North Carolina; Everytown, Students Demand Action, Moms Demand Action Statements

Chapel Hill, N.C.  —  Tomorrow marks one year since the deadly shooting at the University of North Carolina (UNC), where one faculty member was shot and killed. In the year since the shooting, North Carolina lawmakers have yet to pass common sense gun reform laws to protect their constituents. 

“Its been one year since this tragedy and emotions continue to remain raw and heavy,” said Gabrielle Stevenson, a survivor of the shooting at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and volunteer with the UNC-Chapel Hill Students Demand Action chapter. “Our generation has first hand experience hiding from shooters and overcoming these awful situations. This November we are taking our fight to the ballot box to protect our communities from gun violence in North Carolina and beyond.”

Everytown for Gun Safety recently released a report revealing gun violence in schools rose by 31 percent last year. The 2023–2024 school year saw the second-highest number of shootings at schools since Everytown began tracking them in 2013. Nearly four in 10 of those shot in these school incidents were students. 

The deadly shooting at the UNC occurred after state lawmakers passed a dangerous bill that repealed the background check requirement for unlicensed handgun sales. The bill was vetoed by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, but then overridden by the legislature. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children, teens and young adults (ages 1 to 25) in the United States. Children, teens and young adults in the U.S. are impacted by gun violence in all its forms. Exposure to gun violence has an impact on the psychological and mental well-being of young people and affects their school performance, among other factors. 

In response, many survivors of gun violence have found strength in advocacy. In North Carolina, and all across the country, survivors are leading the fight to save lives through action — be that sharing their stories at community events, advocating at statehouses, or fighting to hold the gun industry accountable.

Last month, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Victory Fund announced a major electoral program and the launch of a new grassroots voter contact program to help elect gun sense candidates and defeat gun extremists up and down the ballot in key swing districts and states, including North Carolina. The campaign will focus on the threat the MAGA gun extremist agenda poses to the safety of our communities and highlight their opposition to common-sense gun safety laws.

In an average year, 1,636 people die by guns. With a rate of 15.3 deaths per 100,000 people, North Carolina has the 23rd-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Gun violence costs North Carolina $19.5 billion each year, of which $471.0 million is paid by taxpayers.

To speak with a North Carolina Students Demand Action volunteer, please do not hesitate to reach out to press@everytown.org.