'Dunblane doesn't need an anniversary to remember - we remember every day'
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Dunblane school shooting, Northsound 1 News is hearing from the brother of one of the children killed.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Dunblane school shooting, Northsound 1 News is hearing from the brother of one of the children killed.
Jack Crozier's sister Emma was one of the 16 children and their teacher who died when a gunman opened fire on their gym class at Dunblane Primary School on 13th March 1996.
It was the worst mass killing to occur in the UK and a huge campaign in its wake led to a complete ban on owning handguns.
Jack’s parents were part of the Snowdrop campaign now he uses his platform to campaign, and the lessons he learned from them, to campaign for gun control in America so no more families have to go through what his did 25 years ago.
He said: "Anger is the right emotion. No one is asking for pity. No one here needs pity. We want people to be angry about what's going on in America and angry that this is still allowed to happen elsewhere in the world 25 years on from what happened in Dunblane.
The Dunblane Primary School class in which 16 children were killed along with their teacher
Flowers outside Dunblane Primary in 1996
A woman lays flowers four days after the shooting
A woman is comforted outside the primary school
Gwen Mayor was murdered by a lone gunman along with 16 children
"Yes, remember what happened in Dunblane and of course, remember our loved ones. We will always remember them and we don't need the anniversary to do that.
"But what we need it for people to look back on Dunblane and think 'Why was that allowed to happen? Why was someone allowed to own a handgun and walk into a primary school gym class and kill sixteen children and their school teacher and why is that still happening elsewhere in the world?'
"Look at the March for our Lives campaign that started in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Look at those kids who stood up and spoke up after getting shot at in their school and losing their friends. Look at the way they are campaigning and the work they are putting in. The work cannot be in vain. They need to be doing this for a reason.
"It's learning lessons from what happened in Dunblane. We need to learn the lessons of what happened here and take that knowledge and spread it elsewhere because it cannot be allowed to happen again. Not to another family."
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