The father of a Parkland school shooting victim has issued an emotional plea for gun reform following Wednesday's attack at a Minneapolis Catholic school that killed two children. Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin died in the 2018 Parkland massacre, directly appealed to President Trump to prioritise gun control measures.
Two children aged eight and 10 were killed when a gunman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School during morning mass. The attack also injured 17 people, including 14 children and three adults, before the shooter died by suicide at the scene.
Parkland father's direct appeal
Oliver told CNN that more than 350,000 people have been shot since his son was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School seven years ago. "Since Joaquin was shot four times with an AR-15, more than 350,000 people have been shot. And we do nothing or very little," he said.
The grieving father praised Trump's ability to "make things happen" and urged immediate action. "You can actually stop this from happening, and there is no political risk here because you're still going to be the president for the next three years," Oliver said.
Ongoing gun violence crisis
According to CNN, Wednesday's shooting marked the 44th such incident in the US this year alone. Nearly 400 school shooting incidents have occurred since Oliver's son was murdered in February 2018.
The Daily Mail reports that shooter Robin Westman, 23, used three different weapons and blocked church doors with wooden planks during the attack. The FBI is investigating the incident as domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics, according to WalesOnline.
Political responses
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz renewed calls for action on gun violence following the tragedy. "Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, but also keep us in your thoughts for action," Walz said.
Trump posted on social media that he had been "fully briefed on the tragic shooting" and that the FBI was on scene. "Please join me in praying for everyone involved," the President wrote.
Oliver has dedicated his life to gun reform advocacy through his nonprofit "Change the Ref" since losing his son. Despite countless mass shootings, policymakers have failed to enact comprehensive gun reforms, leaving shooting drills as routine for American schoolchildren.
Sources used: "CNN", "Independent", "Daily Mail", "WalesOnline"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
