Santa Clarita residents were joined by Congresswoman Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce, and students from Valencia High School at a gun violence protest on Wednesday.

The event was organized by CA25 United for Progress, a group aimed at making progressive change in the community. Hilary Schardein, chair of CA25 United for Progress, thanked Santa Clarita representatives for their part in the gun legislation debate.

“We need gun legislation in this country at a national level, because as long as someone can go and take a quick drive over to Vegas and come back and shoot up Gilroy, (the system) is not working,” said Schardein. “We can do all we want here in our state to keep people safe, but is only a hop, skip and a jump for those who are truly motivated and truly want to cause harm.”

Schardein introduced Hill, who remarked on the general feeling of unsafety in the United States due to gun violence.

“I have a staffer, who after the shooting in El Paso, said, ‘I have never felt more targeted as an immigrant,’” Hill said. “That lack of safety, fundamental safety in our community is something we cannot stand by and accept.”

https://www.facebook.com/khtsradio/videos/369987097266615/

Hill said that legislative action was being taken, specifically mentioning Assembly Bill HR8, which was passed by the House in February 2019, but has not yet been introduced to the Senate floor for a vote.

Co-sponsored by Hill, HR8 would only allow person-to-person gun sales if a background check can be conducted. 

“If your background check does not come back within three days, then you are able to buy the gun. Even though we don’t know what is in that background check, if the three days expires, then the gun store is allowed to sell you the weapon,” said Hill. “The Charlston loophole will close that, and will make it so that you have to wait at least 30 days if your background check is not coming back.”

According to officials, it would also close loopholes for certain kinds of gun sales — such as those at gun shows, over the internet or from private dealers — that are currently completed without background checks, potentially putting guns in the hands of people who would otherwise be prohibited from owning them.

“These are basic measures,” said Hill. “These are not controversial at all.”

A student writing a message on a postcard postmarked for Senator Mitch McConnell’s office.

Julianna Lozada, a senior at Valencia High School, spoke on behalf of the local group of Students Demand Action, a gun-sense advocacy group.

“‘This is not a drill. We are on a soft lockdown.’ — These were the first words I heard today as I parked my car onto campus,” said Lozad0. “It is the second day of school.” 

Related: ‘Suspicious’ Person Released Near Valencia High School, No Crime Committed

Lozada was referencing a soft lockdown that occurred Wednesday morning, after Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s deputies received reports of a suspicious person wearing combat clothing near Valencia High School.

While there turned out to be no danger, the response from the community illustrated the fear that pervades the American education system, according to Lozada.

Lozada was in 5th grade when she first learned of school shootings in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, stating that at the time, she was unable to fully grasp the full scope of what it meant, even as lockdown drills became the norm at her schools.

“I thought it was all normal that as a 10-year-old, I should always be prepared, just in case someone with a gun were to walk on-campus and target me and my classmates,” said Lozada. “As a senior in high school, I still find it difficult to grasp that we have let this happen for nearly 20 years.”

At Valencia High School, officials have planned two lockdown drills in contrast to one earthquake and one fire drill, according to Lozada. She states that as a student, she has had enough of the fear and violence with no “real” action.

“Domestic terrorism, white nationalism and racially-motivated hate crimes have skyrocketed, and as someone who is part of ‘Generation Lockdown,’ I refuse to be complicit,” said Lozada.

She pointed out that it took only six days for the government of New Zealand to begin the process of banning semi-automatic weapons after the deaths of 51 people in the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019, while it has taken the United States nearly two decades of debate to remain at a standstill.

“The time to act on gun violence was 20 years ago,” Lozada said.

Lozada acknowledged that there was more than one side to the gun rights issue, but also stated that some sort of real action must be taken.

“Those who are against our movement say that these mass shootings are a mental health issue. They offer their prayers to the Almighty, but offer no viable solution. Unless you count taking video games off the Walmart shelves a viable solution,” said Lozada. “Those who are against our movement say it is too early to talk about gun control, but for the family who lost their 6-year-old in the Gilroy shooting, it was already too late.”

She went on to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take gun violence as a serious issue.

Congresswoman Hill speaking to Lozado and other Students Demand Action

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.