Last month, there was a very tragic shooting incident in our community, in which a father shot and killed his six-year-old son, his 14-month-old son, his wife (their mother), and her parents. The six-year-old child was a student at one of AUSD’s elementary schools, and his mother attended the Alameda Adult School. This mass shooting is having a deep and rippling effect across both school communities and our entire city.
AUSD staff and families are grieving and suffering ongoing pain and suffering; Alameda Family Services is providing direct supports for AUSD employees and families struggling with this loss; and the AUSD community is demanding a safer future for Alameda.
Alameda Unified School District is committed to fostering a safe and conducive learning environment for all students. In line with this commitment, we strongly support Senate Bill 899 (SB 899), authored by Senator Skinner, which aims to enhance gun violence prevention efforts.
As we have so tragically seen, gun violence poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of students across our district. The impact of gun violence extends beyond immediate physical harm, affecting mental health, academic performance, and overall school climate. Addressing this issue is critical to ensuring that our educational environments are secure and nurturing.
State Senators Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, propose new legislation that would bolster California’s “Red Flag” law and other state statutes that prevent gun violence.
SB 899 would make it easier for California courts to ensure that people who are deemed a threat to themselves or others no longer have access to firearms. SB 899 would establish uniform standards for California’s gun violence restraining order (GVRO) law, also known as the “Red Flag” law, and the state’s other firearm-prohibiting restraining order laws. The new standards would conform to recently enacted rules governing California’s domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) law.
SB 899’s focus on preventive measures aligns with our district's priority to create a safe learning environment. By supporting this bill, we are taking proactive steps to mitigate risks associated with gun violence.
Alameda Unified School District supports SB 899 as a vital measure to advance gun violence prevention and enhance the safety of our students and staff. We believe that supporting this legislation will contribute significantly to creating a more secure and supportive educational environment.