Rain fell steadily over Santa Clarita Friday evening, but it did little to deter the crowd determined to remember the Saugus shooting, the tragedy that forever changed their community. 

Umbrellas lined the walkway as parents, students, teachers, advocates and local leaders came together for a solemn Saugus Remembrance Memorial Walk, marking six years since the 2019 Saugus High School shooting.

Six years may have passed, but for many, the wounds remain close to the surface.

“As much as that makes us emotional, it’s nothing compared to going through a shooting and what students and teachers and families have gone through in this community,” said Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D) – Chatsworth. 

On November 14, 2019, two students – 15-year-old Gracie Muehlberger and 14-year-old Dominic Blackwell – were killed and three others injured when 16-year-old classmate Nathaniel Berhow opened fire on campus before taking his own life, a day that reshaped countless lives in Santa Clarita.

On Friday, concerned parents, survivors, supporters, and members of Moms Demand Action stood shoulder-to-shoulder, emphasizing that the tragedy will never be forgotten and that the fight for safer communities continues.

Rep. George Whitesides (D-Ca 27) addressed the crowd, voicing frustration and urgency over continued gun-violence concerns nationwide.

“We as a nation prefer to put our kindergarteners through the risk of active shooter drills and all that entails rather than addressing that issue,” he said.

Saugus Remembrance Memorials (James Alfaro)

Schiavo also acknowledged the emotional weight of the evening while urging collective action.

“Everyone coming together here and the work that we’re doing together as a community is really… saying that we are going to continue to show up and make sure that we continue to make progress and win this fight and really, truly end gun violence in our communities.”

Among those attending were families directly impacted by the shooting, including Saugus parent Elsa Montez, whose son was locked down inside the school the day of the attack – and who also knew the shooter personally.

“We didn’t know what he was going through, but we knew Nathan since he was in kindergarten… and of course, my son was heartbroken when he realized it was him,” Montez said.

Moms Demand Action, a national grassroots organization focused on ending gun violence, played a central role in the walk, emphasizing community support, safe gun storage and bipartisan prevention efforts. 

Carolyn Veis, co-leader of the Santa Clarita chapter, said their mission is deeply personal.

“We are working hard to make sure that families have their loved ones there at the holidays. This is why we’re fighting – we don’t want this to happen to any other family,” she said.

Veis added that local activism continues beyond memorial dates.

“We are trying to work with local politicians to pass common-sense gun laws… and making sure [guns are] stored safely, so that it doesn’t get into the wrong hands and cause something like this.”

Whitesides closed the night with a pledge that resonated across the crowd.

“And we will keep coming out whether it’s rain, snow, hurricane, tornado,” he said. “We are going to keep coming out for our kids and for the folks in our community to keep us safe.”

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