East Lansing
Students take lead against gun violence
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Zoe Touray knows the reality of how gun violence can alter one’s life because she herself is a survivor.
“I was already a very jumpy person before everything happened,” Touray said. “[Now] any little movement I have to look and see what’s going on.”
As a recent graduate from Oxford High School, Touray has carried the trauma of surviving the Oxford shooting on Nov. 30, 2021. Since then, her parents have encouraged her to speak out and become an activist for victims of gun violence and the movement toward more strict gun legislation.
Following the shooting, Touray was contacted by March for Our Lives, a youth-led nonprofit organization that aims to end gun violence. It is through the Michigan chapter of MFOL that Touray serves as a youth member and frequently speaks about her experience at different events.
“They’re [members of the government] working on giving billions of dollars to schools for mental health resources, they’re working on tighter background checks and waiting periods for the age limit to buy a gun,” said Touray.