Gun violence discussed in social change lecture series
Nearly nine years ago, Christian Heyne’s parents were shot in Ventura County, Ca., while returning a boat from a holiday vacation. His father survived three bullet wounds, but his mother was killed.
Heyne’s parents were two of the nine people killed or injured by Toby Whelchel, including himself, when he went on a 16-hour shooting spree in May 2005. Whelchel was able to obtain a handgun despite a history of arrests, Heyne said.
“My story is not a unique one,” said Heyne, who has been actively fighting gun violence since losing his mother nearly a decade ago.
Heyne, the legislative director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, spoke to a group of about 15 students and faculty members in South Campus Commons last night about gun laws in the U.S., the effects of gun violence and what can be done to make a difference. The talk was part of Beyond the Classroom’s “People Power: Activism for Social Change” series.
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/campus/article_b5110170-a8d5-11e3-937e-0017a43b2370.html