Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
5th Anniversary Of Parkland Massacre Marred By Yet Another School Shooting
CNN: Parkland School Shooting: 5 Years Later, Here's What Has Changed (And What Hasn't)
The massacre that ripped apart 17 families in Parkland, Florida, five years ago on Valentine’s Day ignited a wave of student-led protests and bipartisan legislation to combat the plague of school shootings devastating the country. ... But five years after the bloodbath in Parkland, the scourge of US mass shootings continues nationwide, including one Monday that again terrified an American campus, with three dead and five wounded at Michigan State University. (Yan, 2/14)
WSUF News: Five Years After The Parkland Shooting, One Parent Says It 'Feels Like Five Minutes Ago'
Five years after a mass shooting that shook Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Parkland remain inextricably linked to the ghastly day when a troubled teenager in less than four minutes killed 14 students and three staff members, injured 17 more and traumatized an untold number of children and families. But the Feb. 14, 2018, tragedy also sparked a national movement created and led by young people, spurred changes in state law aimed at making schools safer and led to new firearm restrictions in what had been dubbed the “Gunshine State.” “It still feels like five minutes ago,” Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was among the victims, told The News Service of Florida in a phone interview Thursday. (Kam, 2/11)
CBS News: David Hogg On The Movement Against Gun Violence, Five Years After Parkland
"It feels like a lifetime has gone by," said David Hogg. It was February 14, 2018, when Hogg, then 17, and other terrified students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, sheltered in classrooms and closets as a 19-year-old gunman rampaged through their school. "I was really, really scared, and I kind of felt like the adrenaline had rushed down my spine. But I immediately heard in the back of my head my dad's voice: 'If anything ever happens, you have to stay calm.'" So, locked down with other students, Hogg started recording videos, in case they didn't survive. (Braver, 2/12)
More details on the shooting at Michigan State University —
AP: Gunman Kills 3 At Michigan State University; Kills Himself
A gunman who opened fire at Michigan State University killed three people and wounded five, setting off an hourslong manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars. The shooter eventually killed himself, police announced early Tuesday. Officials do not know why the 43-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, targeted the campus. He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university, according to campus police. The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and later moved to the nearby student union, a popular gathering spot for students to eat or study. As hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, students hid where they could. Four hours after the first shots were reported, police announced the man’s death. (Cappelletti and Kusmer, 2/14)
The Washington Post: Michigan Gun Laws Are A Mixed Bag
Michigan does not allow concealed firearms on college campuses or at schools. Although obtaining handguns and other firearms requires a background check, the state is missing several key safety measures, according to Everytown Research and Policy, a U.S. gun violence prevention organization. People carrying concealed firearms in public are required to obtain a permit, but the state does not bar domestic abusers or convicted stalkers from accessing guns. The state allows the purchase of “assault” weapons designed for military use and does not ban high-capacity magazines. (2/14)
The Biden administration is sending states millions for gun-violence prevention —
AP: DOJ Giving States $231M For Gun Violence Prevention Programs
The Justice Department is sending out more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer “red-flag laws” and other crisis-intervention programs as part of the landmark bipartisan gun legislation passed by Congress over the summer, officials said Tuesday. Red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have red-flag laws. (Whitehurst, 2/14)
Axios: Mass Shootings Leave Americans Feeling Helpless
Axios Today and Axios Latino asked readers and listeners to tell us how their lives have changed amid the rise of mass shootings. In emails and emotional voicemails, they told us they look for exits at the grocery stores, just in case. They say goodbye to their children at school with the fear they may lose them to a mass shooting that day. (Ortiz, Boodhoo and Contreras, 2/14)
Chicago Tribune: 15 Years After Students Were Gunned Down At NIU, Memories Remain And School Shootings Continue In US
The sounds of gunshots, the ringing of a fire alarm and the breaking of glass echo in Kevin Stromberg’s memory. When a shooter opened fire at Northern Illinois University, Stromberg remembers, the smell of gunpowder hung in the air. Fifteen years ago Tuesday, Stromberg was in class when a former NIU student burst in through a door behind the lecture stage and opened fire with a shotgun and semi-automatic pistols, killing five and injuring 21. As a senior in psychology, the tragedy cemented his decision to become a therapist and pushed him to work with trauma victims. (McCoppin, Syed and Lourgos, 2/13)
