Opinion | We’ve lived through lockdowns. Now we’re fighting for gun safety laws.

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

The blinds were drawn, the lights turned off and we sat silently behind locked doors. It was a soft lockdown; someone was in the parking lot, possibly armed. We waited, barely breathing, while the speakers echoed with practiced instructions: Locks, lights, out of sight.

Months later, a Minnesota high school graduation ceremony, meant to be a moment of celebration with friends and family, erupted into chaos as a man pulled a gun from his car during an argument. Not long after, a similar incident occurred at a different graduation in the state. No space is immune.

When you’re a kid, you’re not thinking about violence in school. You’re thinking about who has the coolest backpack or showing off your light-up sneakers to your friends. You hear about lockdowns on the news, but you never expect it to be your school, until it is. Last year alone, nearly 1 in 4 teachers said a gun forced their school into lockdown. And even when lockdown protocols are in place, tragedies can still happen. Two months ago, the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting killed two children and injured 28 more, illustrating how lockdowns don’t prevent mass shootings.

Imagine a teenager rummaging through another student’s car before class and finding their loaded handgun in the glove box. Or picture an angry student or spectator weaving through a crowded parking lot to grab a firearm from their car in the heat of the moment. In both cases, what begins as an ordinary school day or sports game could end in tragedy — not because a student broke the law, but because the law wasn’t strong enough to prevent it. These aren’t far-fetched scenarios; they’re real risks that schools across Minnesota face every day.

Most people assume guns are banned on school property in Minnesota, but it’s currently legal to carry a firearm to a high school football game or a hockey game. However, just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s safe. By requiring all firearms in vehicles on school property to be stored securely on school property, regardless of whether the owner has a permit to carry or not, we can reduce the risk of impulsive violence.

Proper legislation can change that — requiring all firearms in vehicles on public school property or at sanctioned school activities to be stored safely is common sense. Just as we require seat belts to prevent unnecessary harm, safe storage laws prevent tragedies before they happen. These simple safeguards respect responsible gun ownership while ensuring that schools remain places of learning, not violence.

Even small efforts can make a big difference in making this change a reality. Contact your district’s legislative representatives and urge them to support safe firearm storage laws on school property. Speak up about the preventable tragedies in our state that have occurred and share this issue with your local community. Encourage friends, neighbors and parents to join you in calling for action — together, our voices are stronger. When students can learn without fear, they build relationships, discover passions, explore their ideas and chase their dreams. Yet, the lingering threat of gun violence overshadows these opportunities with worry.

We owe it to not just every student, but their families as well, to make schools a place where safety is a given. By passing safe firearm storage laws for schools, we take a significant step toward making that reality possible.