"Gun lobbies so powerful, nothing to keep children safe" - James Blake recalls Sandy Hook Elementary gun violence "tragedy" with Billie Jean King
Veteran player James Blake and tennis legend Billie Jean King recently recalled the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy which occurred in 2012. Students who lost batchmates in the shooting graduated this year.
The incident occurred on 14 December in Newtown, Connecticut when the 20-year-old gunman, Adam Lanza, entered the school after having fatally shot his mother at their home. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns, Lanza killed 20 children, aged six and seven, along with six adult staff members, before taking his own life as police arrived at the scene. President Barack Obama called it “the single darkest day" the country had seen.
12 years later, around 60 students from the batch that saw the unfortunate deaths of its members have graduated from Newtown High School, on Wednesday, June 11. Sharing this news, tennis icon Billie Jean King recalled the tragedy, posting on her X account. James Blake also chimed in expressing his frustration over the lack of significant gun reform since the shooting.
According to Blake, a failure by authorities to effect adequate legal changes after the shooting demonstrates the National Rifle Association (NRA)'s and the 'gun lobby's' power against gun control policies, due to which the safety of students on school campuses today is still potentially in jeopardy.
Replying to King, he tweeted,
"When this tragedy didn’t cause sweeping gun reform, it seemed like a red line indicating that the NRA and gun lobbies were so powerful that nothing would ever be accomplished to keep our children safe. Sad on so many levels. RIP to these and too many others."
Billie Jean King shares her sympathy with the victims' families as peers graduate
Billie Jean King frequently expresses her opinions on social issues. She played a crucial role in the inception of the WTA in 1973 and her efforts led to the U.S. Open becoming the first tennis Major to offer equal prize money to men and women.
Following the graduation ceremony of the students who lost batchmates in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting 12 years ago, Billie Jean King reflected on the incident, noting the absence of the 20 young students who were tragically killed.
"Newtown High School’s class of 2024 graduated last night. Missing from the ceremony are 20 young faces who were brutally murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary 12 years ago," she wrote on X.
Expressing sympathy for the families of those 20 children, King also emphasized the need to end gun violence.
"Thinking of their families, who should have been celebrating a milestone in their seniors' lives. We must end gun violence. It's long past time."