Thousand Oaks Massacre Devastates Community Made Up of Nearby Colleges and Universities; Students and Educators

BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President Eric C. Heins issued the following statement regarding yesterday’s shooting in Thousand Oaks which left 13 people dead:

“We are saddened by yet another heartbreaking and senseless gun tragedy. Thousand Oaks is a college town. Many of the victims were students at nearby Pepperdine University, Moorpark College, California Lutheran University and Biola University, among others. As too many of our educators know, when a student’s life is taken it sends shock waves throughout a campus. We stand with families who have lost their loved ones and mourn for them, knowing the path to emotional healing is a long one. Our hearts go out to Susan Schmidt-Orfanos, whose son Telemachus Orfanos, survived last year’s Las Vegas massacre, only to be gunned down in his hometown. We join with her as she calls for sensible gun safety legislation as she says ‘I don’t want thoughts. I don’t want prayers.’

“It’s long overdue that our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. pass commonsense gun laws to keep our students, educators and communities safe. A common thread that connects these events is the national mental health crisis. We support increased mental health services so that tragedies like these can be prevented. Life is just too precious and this problem too common for them to wait any longer.”

For those who may need additional support in dealing with this tragedy, the National Education Association has created several educator resources to help students and parents feel safe at school.

###

The 325,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.