SAN DIEGO — David Hogg survived the 2018 Parkland High School shooting. At 24 years old, he’s spreading the word about what a new and young generation can do to keep schools and students safe.
Hogg spoke at UC San Diego on Tuesday as part of the Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society.
"We heard what sounded like a gunshot outside of my class," Hogg described during his lecture Tuesday.
Hogg recounted his experience as a high school senior during one of the deadliest school shooting in the United States. Seventeen of his classmates and teachers died and another 17 were injured.
"I was so frustrated after the shooting, the only thing I could think to do was speak out," he said.
Hogg and his classmates decided they wanted to turn a tragedy into action and got to work.
"We passed the Red Flag Law after that," Hoggs said. "That has been used over 19,000 times since the shooting in Florida to disarm people that are a risk to themselves and others."
Hogg said that the law was able to disarm the man who was accused of sending death threats to his mother after he began speaking out. Hogg and his classmates also helped change the legal age to buy a firearm in Florida to 21.
"The shooter at my high school, under federal law, he was not able to purchase a handgun because he was 19 at the time, so he wasn’t allowed to purchase a handgun but he was legally allowed to purchase an AR-15," Hogg said.
He's also sparked marches and protests against gun violence around the world, and now is focusing on using his platforms to encourage Gen Z to vote.
"My generation is mad, and we're not taking anymore and we're getting out there, we're voting in record numbers," Hogg said. "Not only are we voting in record numbers, we're also running for office because we're not waiting around for somebody else to make this change for us."
Hogg is continuing to support the next generation of voters and politicians while sharing his insight at schools across the country, such as UC San Diego. Plus, San Diego has a special place in his heart. Hogg's mother is a San Diego native and his father was stationed at Naval Base Coronado.
"It's often said that you should be the change that you want to see in the world, and I'm tired of seeing gun violence continue," Hogg said. "Violence continue not just in our schools, but in our communities on a daily basis."