22 years on, Dunblane’s letter to gun rampage school in US
Solidarity with Florida victims
IT was a tragedy that claimed the lives of 16 children and their teacher more than two decades ago.
Now relatives of those killed in the Dunblane massacre have sent a moving letter of support to the US school where a mass shooting happened last month.
On the 22nd anniversary of the shootings in the Perthshire town yesterday, it emerged that survivors and families have written to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died on Valentine’s Day.
In Scotland, 16 children aged just five and six and teacher Gwen Mayor were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton when he opened fire on a gym class at Dunblane Primary School on March 13, 1996.
The massacre shocked the nation and led to the UK enforcing some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.
The letter was organised by Mick North, whose five-year-old daughter, Sophie, was killed in Dunblane.
His partner Barbara had died of breast cancer two years earlier and Sophie was their only child.
Since her death, Mr North has dedicated his life to driving guns out of British society, helping to set up the UK Gun Control Network to challenge the gun lobby.
Praising the Florida students who have led the campaign for gun control, Mr North said: ‘They are talking more sense than many of the adults have done in the past.
‘It doesn’t matter what age they are, they have experienced something dreadful and, as a result, decided they don’t want it to happen to anyone else.’
The families in Dunblane have also posted an online video.
In it relatives of those killed, such as Alison Ross, whose sister Joanna died, read the letter on the ‘Dunblane Stands with Parkland’ Facebook page on the ‘most poignant’ day of the year.
They say ‘change can happen’ and wish the US students ‘wisdom and strength’ for their campaign against gun violence.
Describing how people in the town felt compelled to take action after the 1996 massacre, they said: ‘The gunman owned legal weapons and it was so easy for him to obtain these legal weapons and like you we vowed to do something about it.
‘Most politicians listened and acted, laws were changed, handguns banned and the level of gun violence in Britain is now one of the lowest in the world.
‘There have been no more school shootings. We persuaded British lawmakers not to be swayed by the vested interests of the gun lobby, we asked them to put public safety first.’
The shootings in the US sparked a public outcry, with students meeting President Donald Trump and organising marches demanding tighter gun controls.
The Dunblane survivors and relatives say: ‘Change can happen. It won’t be easy, but continue to remind everybody of what happened at your school and the devastation caused by just one person and just one legally owned gun.
‘Never let anyone forget. There will be attempts to divide you, to deflect you and doubtless to intimidate you, but you’ve already shown great wisdom and strength.
‘Wherever you march, whenever you protest, however you campaign for a more sensible approach to gun ownership, we will be there with you in spirit.’
They also offer their ‘total support’ for the March For Our Lives gun control rally on March 24 in Washington DC.
The letter from the Dunblane victims was published on the Buzzfeed website yesterday.
‘We vowed to do something’ ‘Politicians listened and acted’