Ingram Condemns Gun Violence in Schools, Urges Action on Commonsense Gun Legislation

Today, Senate Democratic Assistant Minority Whip Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement after the deadly school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday and the ongoing and increasing threats to multiple schools in the Cincinnati area.

“No one should ever be at risk of losing their life for attending school," said Ingram. "My heart goes out to the families, students, and staff of Apalachee High School who have had to endure this tragic event. Additionally, I would like to thank our local school districts and law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to keep our students safe. But this alone is not enough. I am urging my colleagues of this General Assembly to pass long overdue legislation to further protect the lives of our children and communities."

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, two students and two teachers were killed, and nine others were injured in a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The suspect used an AR-15-style weapon.

On Thursday, September 5, 2024, multiple school shooting threats in the Cincinnati area were reported. Mt. Healthy Schools canceled classes, and Lakota West, Sycamore Schools, Cincinnati Public Schools, Princeton Schools, and Northwest Local Schools have all increased security measures to ensure the safety of students.

Ohio Senate Democrats are committed to commonsense gun safety and have introduced key legislation that would combat increasing gun violence:

• S.B. 78: to restore local authority to generally regulate firearms-related conduct.
• S.B. 187: to prohibit firearm possession with a domestic violence conviction.
• S.B. 209: to increase the penalty for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm.
• S.B. 307: to prohibit certain conduct regarding trigger cranks, bump stock devices, and other items that accelerate a semi-automatic firearm's rate of fire but do not convert it into an automatic firearm.