Gun reform advocate David Hogg calls for action after tragic Georgia school shooting

LEIMERT PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- David Hogg, a prominent advocate for gun reform and a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, is using his platform to push for meaningful changes in gun laws.

Hogg was in Los Angeles on Thursday to talk about gun reform, just one day after a tragic high school shooting in Georgia, where a 14-year-old fatally shot two students and two teachers and injured nine others.

"I hope that I wouldn't still be doing this today," Hogg told Eyewitness News. "I hope that I wouldn't still have to be having these conversations today, but unfortunately this crisis obviously continues."

Hogg is urging people to vote for candidates who support stronger gun laws, an effort he has been advocating for through his organization, Leaders We Deserve.

"Ultimately, the only way we're going to get out of this situation is by making sure one, we're voting in record numbers for candidates that support things like stronger gun laws and addressing the root causes of what causes someone to pick up a gun in the first place," Hogg said. "That means addressing poverty, that means addressing the education system."

Since the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, Hogg said some progress has been made.

"What that law did is expanded background checks for people under the age of 21 attempting to buy a gun," Hogg said. "Over 800 high-risk individuals have been prevented from buying semi-automatic rifles like the
AR-15 because of the passage of that law."

But, Hogg emphasized that more work needs to be done and it starts with people taking action.

"Show up at your school board, show up at your city council, show up especially at your state legislature and also call your members of congress because it's ridiculous that we have to go through this over and over again," Hogg said.