Draft:We Will Not Wait for the Next School Shooting (nationwide op-ed)

We Will Not Wait for the Next School Shooting is a nationwide op-ed co-authored by student activists Andrew Sun and Alexander Denza, published on January 24, 2024. It appeared simultaneously in over 50 college and university newspapers across the United States, addressing the urgent issue of gun violence in American schools.

The piece, signed by 144 student leaders representing over 90 groups, articulates the fear and frustration felt by students due to recurring school shootings and the broader issue of gun violence. It calls for immediate action and unity to prevent future tragedies, drawing parallels with historical student movements to underscore the power of collective activism. Sun has said that the motivation for writing the op-ed was to "disentangle gun violence organizing from survivorship".

The op-ed received national attention and was quote tweeted by President Joe Biden.