Accidental Advocates: Young Champions for Gun Reform
Accidental Advocates: Young Champions for Gun Reform
Tuesday, May 21st - 1:00pm EST
Join us for an online conversation with three young gun reform activists - Xander Cohn, Sam Schwartz and Drew Spiegel. These college students have thrust themselves into advocacy work after personally experiencing a mass shooting.
In 2018, Sam’s cousin was killed during the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Xander’s cousin was killed when a gunman opened fire at the Independence Day Parade in Highland Park, Illinois in 2022. Drew was participating in the parade and was next in line to march when the shooting began.
As staunch proponents of gun law reform, Xander, Sam and Drew will discuss their journeys and how they are advocating for change to make the United States a safer place. Participation is free and registration is required.
About the Presenters
Xander Cohn
Xander is a 21 year old activist and student focused on fighting all injustices. After the tragic 4th of July Parade mass shooting in Highland Park, IL where their cousin was murdered right next to Xander’s sister and father, he focused on turning his families trauma and healing into action to prevent all senseless acts of gun violence.
Sam Schwartz
In 2018, when Sam was 14, his cousin, Alex Schachter was murdered by a gunman using an AR-15 in Parkland, Florida, along with 16 others. Previously, Sam had placed his trust in adults in power to fix issues. After his cousin’s senseless death, he realized how wrong his assumptions were and he took action. He has spent the last 6 years relentlessly fighting for gun safety laws in America. Sam Schwartz is now 20 years old and attends school in Boston, MA.
Drew Spiegel
Drew Spiegel just completed his first year at Vanderbilt University, where he is a political science major. He is originally from Deerfield, Illinois, a suburb just outside of Chicago. On July 4th, 2022, Drew was next in line to walk at the Highland Park Independence Day parade when gunshots erupted.
Since the parade, he has advocated tirelessly for common-sense gun violence prevention measures to make our communities safer. Most recently, he has focused on organizing at Vanderbilt and across Tennessee to stand up to that state’s dangerous gun laws. Outside of advocacy, some of his favorite things are long-distance running, crosswords, and the outdoors.