Survivors of the deadly Apalachee High School shooting gathered alongside Georgia House Democrats at the state Capitol to renew calls for safe gun storage laws.
Students and family members joined state Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat, and Georgia House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley of Columbus for a press conference Thursday. They called on lawmakers to pass legislation they believe is needed to prevent future attacks and argued current efforts are not enough to address the trauma and fear that now define their school experience. The Sept. 4, 2024, shooting in the Winder high school left two students and two teachers dead and nine other students injured.
“We all can agree in this room that we need to protect all our children. No child deserves to have the fear of having to go to school. No child deserves to experience what we have experienced. It’s not fair,” said Kyra Lynn McConatha, a recent Apalachee High School graduate who was in class during the attack. “This has followed me from high school and into college.”
Au has previously introduced a bill that would have required gun owners to secure their firearms in a locked container or with a gun lock when a minor is present. The bill failed to move in the 2025 legislative session, but it will remain active when lawmakers reconvene in January.