A crowd of students and parents gathered at the Ventura County Office of Education April 21 to hear Congresswoman Julia Brownley and a panel of nine students discuss gun violence.

Brownley began the town hall by addressing students present and the effort they have put into enacting reform.

“Parkland has galvanized students around this county. You are our future voters and leaders. You and all of the other amazing young people have awakened our national consciousness,” Brownley said at the meeting. “Many students here and across the country are pushing for change and although I’m sure there’s difference of opinion, the most important thing is that you’re showing up and speaking up for the conversation. I’m anxious to hear how what is going around the country impacts all of you and what we should do about it.”

Brownley addressed gun violence in Ventura County.

“Just last month there was a tragic shooting at The Oaks mall in [Thousand Oaks] where a young mother lost her life,” Brownley said. “[We are also no] stranger to gun violence that affects students; I often think about the two young people from our community: Larry King and Veronika Weiss.”

King was a middle school student from Oxnard who was shot twice in the back of the head by a classmate in 2008. Weiss was organizing a charity event at the University of California, Santa Barbara when she was killed by an individual on a shooting rampage in 2014.

“These are just two of the thousands of Americans whose bright futures have been extinguished by gun violence,” Brownley said.

At the meeting, Brownley criticized the accessibility of assault weapons and Congress’ lack of action.

“Families are destroyed and communities are shattered because guns and weapons of war, like AR-15s, too easily and too often get into the hands of those who should not have them. From Sandy Hook –– when I was first sworn into Congress –– to Orlando, to San Bernardino to Las Vegas, the only action Congress has offered each time has been sadly, a moment of silence on the house floor and little else,” Brownley said.

However, she offered hope for change.

“Just a few weeks ago in Congress, we passed legislation to make improvements to the national background check system, and provide support to school safety grant programs, and school based mental health programs, and finally to begin again research on gun violence,” Brownley said. “These changes came from the demands of students like you.”

Senior Kimia Mohebi helped run the town hall by managing social media and preparing questions. She also asked a question on the enforcement of California Proposition 63 –– a proposition that makes ammunition less easily available in California.

“The town hall was great because it allowed students a platform to speak to an individual with actual political sway,” Mohebi said. “Often, young student activists, especially those of which are people of color, don’t get the attention or speaking time they so rightfully deserve, so making a seat at the table for us is appreciated.”

Various students spoke at the town hall as well.

Alex Unger, a freshman at Newbury Park High school, spoke about how gun violence has personally affected her family. Unger’s uncle committed suicide using a semi-automatic firearm.

“My uncle, the second he got out of high school, he spent three years in the military,” Unger said at the meeting. “He was well trained; he knew how to shoot. [But] there were still so many things along his path that had to do with mental health that I think that there are important warning signs.”

Unger said she believes that her uncle’s mental health was a factor in the suicide.

“When he was in middle school he took an entire bottle of alcohol to school, drank it and passed out on the stairs on his way to class. He was suspended from school and told to go to family therapy, they went once and I don’t think that solved anything,” Unger said. “I am here to tell you that my family has personally lost a lot by [gun violence].”

Unger described the devastating effect that the tragedy had on her family.

“When my grandparents found out their son was dead, my grandfather fell to the floor and I don’t think he’s really gotten up since,” Unger said. “I think we really need to push mental health background checks and talk about mental health a lot more.”

Isabel Mercado, a junior at Ventura High School, also spoke about her fears of gun violence.

“I now have a little brother, and we live in Ventura. And I don’t want him to live with the same fear that I have to live with. When I send him every morning to go to school, I want him to get on the bus safe and make sure nothing ever harms him there. I don’t want to think that he’ll grow up with an anxiety disorder and fear the world the way I do,” Mercado said at the meeting. “The killings in inner cities for California for teenagers make up two thirds of it. We are the victims. We make up the statistic. I don’t want to be a statistic anymore.”