The parents of Parkland High School massacre victims are touring the United States on a public outreach campaign to pay tribute to their son, Joaquin Oliver, and advocate for gun control. A crowd of nearly 50 gathered at the historic Pima County Courthouse on Sunday.
Patricia and Manuel Oliver lead Change the Ref’s ‘Guacaçon 2023’, making 23 stops as they travel across the country, reflecting that August 4th is Joaquín’s 23rd birthday . “Guac” was Joaquin’s nickname.
The group’s “Guac Mystery Tour” school bus stopped at the January 8 Memorial at El Presidio Plaza in Tucson on Sunday morning.
“Anyone watching this, anyone behind the camera, you don’t want to do what I’m doing,” Manuel Oliver said during his speech.
The conference began with opening remarks from former U.S. Congressman Ron Barber, who survived the January 8, 2011 shooting that killed six and wounded 13, including then-Rep. Gabriel Giffords.
Carlos Gonzalez, M.D., Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona and Pascua Yaki Medical Scientist, opened the speeches with a blessing ceremony.
The Olivers were joined by speaker Deborah Parker, Arizona Chief Survivor Coordinator for Mama’s Demand Action. Katie Woodall survived the 2017 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. So does Cameron Kasky, Parkland survivor and founder of March for Our Lives. Sam Schwartz, cousin of activist and Parkland shooting victim Alex Schacter. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover also spoke.
“Last night I had the opportunity to break bread with her whole family. Many survivors from the bus tour have dedicated their lives to come here this summer,” Conover said. “Unfortunately, our local story in Tucson continues. In 2020, COVID-19 has brought so much, including a terrifying rise in gun violence and a spike in homicides.”
By the time she arrives at the Pima County Attorney’s Office in 2021, she said, there are “144 murders awaiting resolution dating back to 2017.”
“In 2021, we received a record number of 116 new horses in Pima County,” Conover said. “In my two years alone, there have been four more mass casualty incidents. A second incident, just two blocks east of here, at an Amtrak station, caught the attention of a law enforcement officer who claimed his life in a shooting that didn’t even make the news. There were two more cases — the South Side and the West Side — “But it made our news. There was a kind of trauma in my office. I was walking around like this, day and night.”
She said the homicide commission “appreciates its role in preventing violence.”
“The Tucson Police Department extended its reach to a second squad of homicide detectives, and the Pima County Attorney’s Office used our free time to hand out 18,463 gun locks,” Conover said. “We won’t back down until children feel safe in the classroom again.”
Parker then took the mic. She recounted her experience of gun violence in 2006 when her 19-year-old daughter was shot dead from a car.
“December 3rd was the day that changed my life forever,” Parker said. “My 19-year-old daughter Lindsay went to a party with her friends. She had just graduated from high school and was going to school to be an elementary school teacher. She was new.” Nine month old girl. And this was a night for her to go out and have fun. Luckily I was chosen to see my grandchildren so I didn’t pay attention that Lindsey was leaving because I was too excited to see the baby It’s something I regret every day is one of ”
Parker said she was restless that night and told her husband she felt something wasn’t right after her daughter didn’t respond to several text messages.
“As a mother, I felt I needed to be prepared for something. I didn’t know what it was. The sun started to rise, and I lay in bed, fully clothed and fully I woke up,” Parker said. “I heard a knock on the door. Two strange men were standing there. They said, ‘Are you Lindsey’s parents?'” I started to think that something had happened at the party that I had been stopped. But I remember the next thing he said was, “There was a shooting at the party Lindsay was at.” And I thought, “Okay, maybe she’s injured. What hospital do we have to go to? How fast can we get there?” He said Lindsey was shot and she didn’t survive her injuries, and a scream came out of my body that I didn’t know a human being could utter.I felt on the floor. But all I could say was, ‘Lindsey is dead.
Ms Parker’s daughter was shot in the head and Lindsay said she was sitting in a chair until paramedics arrived with “a pool of blood under her body”. Five others were shot dead.
“This was a felon who had easy access to an AR-15 and committed a crime,” Parker said. “He shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place, nor should the other people in the car have. How elected officials don’t care about our children at all. “I’m sick of it. I’m sick of it.” “You know, the NRA gives them a lot of money and owns so many children. And obviously, more money than children. Importantly, this is unacceptable.”
Parker adopted a granddaughter after her daughter’s death.
“As the years go by, my memory of her voice fades. Lindsey’s voice fades and it’s really hard to go through that every day,” Parker said. “Unless they’ve survived the murder of a child, there’s no way they’ll know what the gaping holes in their ears once took up space.”
Parker encouraged people to use the request-to-speak system to advocate for gun control.
“With the number of deaths and injuries rising, we know it’s only a matter of time before it happens to you,” Parker said. “It’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘when.’ Sadly, that’s our country.”
Udall attended the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas with her husband and friends in 2017.
“Jason Aldean was on stage and had just started his setlist. Suddenly there was a strange noise and my husband and I looked at each other completely confused,” Woodall said. “And in an instant, it became frighteningly clear that someone was firing at us. There was no way to protect it, and by the grace of God strangers crossed our path that night, helped my husband, carried me out of the venue, and took me to the strip where an ambulance was waiting. The shooter is contained.These strangers will forever be my heroes.”
Woodall suffered gunshot wounds to his colon, pelvis and oblique muscles. Her colon was surgically repaired and she had to have all organs removed to make sure there were no other perforations, she said.
“I will forever be grateful to my heroes. Just being grateful to be alive is no longer enough. Now I speak up against them and promote gun safety and gun sensing laws.” I feel the need to join the effort to do so,” Udall said. He said.
“And when I talk about gun sense laws, I’m referring to background checks, waiting periods, due process red flag laws on all gun sales, and a ban on the sale of assault rifles,” she said. rice field. “Again, no sales of assault rifles. It’s time for lawmakers to pass gun detection laws that protect our rights.”
Schwartz’s cousin, Alex Schacter, died in the Parkland shooting. Schwartz also participated in the bus tour.
“There have been 45 mass shootings in our country since we started our tour on July 3rd. More than 1,300 people have died in gun violence since we left Parkland. That was 13 days ago. ‘ said Schwartz. “I’m here with Manuel, Patricia and Cameron to encourage you to vote and encourage your friends to vote because if you don’t vote, things like this will continue. Republicans expect your vote.
Kasky, who founded March For Our Lives, shared some stats with the audience.
“I want to give you two numbers, 18 and 42. 18 is where Arizona has the most gun violence in the country. 18 is not a good place,” Kasky said. “Arizona ranks 42nd for gun safety in the country. The state with the strongest gun control ranks 42nd. That’s not a good number either.”
He said the words Manuel Oliver told him still affect him to this day. When Joaquin was born, Manuel didn’t know he had only 17 years to live with his son.
“Remember when you see your family, it’s very likely the moment you think you had to say goodbye,” says Kasky. “But I know I could have done something before I said it. I could have voted, I could have organized. There’s a lot of work to do. But Arizona has gun control.” It’s a state that can move up from 42nd by law to a safer one. ”
Patricia Oliver said there is a need to persuade and generate debate on the subject.
“We need to have conversations, and we need to bring conversations everywhere we are,” she said.
During her speech, Patricia Oliver looked up at the sky and placed her hands on the rosary beads.
“Thank you Joaquin for bringing us here. ‘ she said. “I love you.
