WASHINGTON (WSVN) — Lawmakers are getting closer to working out the final details on gun legislation, and one South Florida voice is hoping one bill is included among the larger package.
“More than 20 years after Columbine, children and teachers continue to be murdered in their classrooms,” said Max Schachter, father of Alex Schachter.
The father lost his son in the Parkland shooting and testified before Congress, Wednesday, after the recent string of mass shooting, including one that killed 19 fourth graders in Texas.
“Parkland, Florida, it had been ranked the safest city in our state,” said Schachter. “Now, Alex is buried next to his mother in the cemetery.”
As the legislative body seems poised to pass the first piece of significant gun legislation in almost three decades. Schachter’s son was one of the 17 victims killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
“On Valentine’s Day, 2018, I sent my little boy Alex to school thinking that when I said goodbye to him he would come home to me. Never did I think he would be murdered in his English class,” said Schachter. “After the shooting, I was consumed with grief and anger.”
Since then, Schachter devoted his life to make sure no family ever suffers through that pain ever again.
“In 2018, I started advocating for the creation of a federal school safety clearing house, a streamlined one stop shop for all school safety best practices, resources and grant programs,” said Schachter.
The clearing house was eventually established, and now he’s focused on two pieces of legislation being considered as part of a wider package. One would codify that clearing house, the second…
“The Eagles Act, named after Alex’s mascot, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles,” said Schachter, “the Eagles Act, would direct the National Threat Assessment Center of the Secret Service, known as NTAC, to expand their mission to include school safety and provide them the necessary resources that they need to help schools prevent violence before it happens. The U.S. Secret Service uses threat assessments to protect the president and senior governmental officials. Law enforcement uses threat assessments to prevent mass shootings. Our children deserve the same protection.”
Other changes in this bi-partisan framework include:
- Making juvenile records of gun buyers under age 21 part of required background checks
- Mental health provisions and incentives for local “red flag” laws
- Allowing authorities to temporarily remove guns from people considered dangerous.
Several senators are waiting to see what the final bill’s text says.
“Now is the time to pass into law the legislation that the Parkland families have been working on for four years,” said Schachter.
The creators are hoping to pass the bill next week, ahead of the 4th of July recess.
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