On February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old former student opened fire with a rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, resulting in the deaths of 17 students and staff and the wounding of 17 others. The 2018 Parkland shooting remains the deadliest high school shooting in United States history, and having just passed its seventh anniversary, we are again reminded of the importance of continued efforts to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again. While the General Assembly has made notable steps in protecting our students through school safety and student mental health grants, as well as the establishment of the Safe2Say Something Program and the Office for Safe Schools, we should remain vigilant as lawmakers in advancing efforts that enhance school safety.
 
Our resolution marks the seventh anniversary of the Parkland school shooting and honors the victims and the first responders who acted swiftly to save lives that day. This incident shows the unfortunate realities of the threats that students across America have faced and continue to face in our schools. In 2024, 83 school shootings were reported across the United States, and in Pennsylvania, 24 school shootings have been reported since 2008. Through continued efforts in the General Assembly, we can work to provide schools with the tools needed to keep students safe, reach students in need of mental health support, and prevent potential acts of school violence that have affected so many.
 
Please join us in supporting this resolution, which honors the lives of the 17 students and teachers who were killed, as well as the survivors and all those affected by the tragic shooting that occurred seven years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.