Local Students Receive Training in Gun Violence Prevention from Sandy Hook Promise

Students from local high schools are partnering with Sandy Hook Promise, one of the nation’s leading gun violence prevention organizations, to receive training on how to prevent gun violence before it occurs.

Sandy Hook Promise is a nonprofit founded by individuals who had family members killed in the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. (Managing director Nicole Hockley is the mother of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the shooting.) Its official mission statement is to “prevent gun violence and other forms of violence and victimization BEFORE they happen by creating a culture of engaged youth and adults committed to identifying, intervening, and getting help for individuals who might be at risk of hurting themselves or others.”

The organization will team up with SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Clubs from select schools across North Carolina, including Carrboro High School, Chapel Hill High School and East Chapel Hill High School, for this training. SAVE Promise Clubs are led by students and aim to create a safe and connected school and community environment.

“In light of the shooting and firearm related incidents that happened in the Charlotte-area earlier this month, including the tragic shooting that happened at Butler High School, we are eager to empower North Carolina students to Know the Signs to help prevent further school shootings, reduce bullying and help create an environment of connectedness and inclusion,” said Hockley in a release.