On the ninth anniversary of the rampage in winnenden, residents of the small town near stuttgart again remembered the victims. At the same time, this year’s commemoration was marked by the connection with young people in the USA.
After school massacres such as the recent one in florida, they are fighting harder against the easy availability of firearms in the country.
As always on 11. March read in winnenden at 9.33 o’clock the church bells. At this time nine years ago, the first emergency call had been received by the police. A former schoolboy had broken into the albertville secondary school and murdered eight schoolgirls, a schoolboy and three teachers with his father’s pistol. On his escape, the 17-year-old shot three other people and finally himself.
The city’s flags are always flying in mourning on the anniversaries of the massacre. Mayor hartmut holzwarth (CDU) gave a speech at the memorial within sight of the school. Young people read out the names of the murdered and their ages. Most were just 15 or 16 years old. "It is very important for us that young people in particular lend their voice to the memory of the victims," said gisela mayer. The head of the foundation against violence in schools lost her daughter nina, who was working as a trainee teacher at the school, in the attack in winnenden.
For the evening was in winnenden a chain of lights under the motto "never again!"("never again!") planned. Young people in winnenden show solidarity with the protest campaign of the same name against school massacres in the u.S.A. It was spontaneously formed after the attack by a 19-year-old on a high school in parkland, florida, in which he was shot on 14. February 17 people shot, including many schoolchildren.
The idea of arming teachers in schools, subsequently floated by U.S. President donald trump, is rejected by the foundation. "How is a teacher supposed to confront an armed man with intent to kill – he had to carry the gun in one hand, the chalk in the other," said gisela mayer.
According to mayer, not only many U.S. Schools have a violence problem, but also german ones. However, arming will not deter potential spree killers, as their acts constitute an extended suicide. On the contrary: "i suspect that it gives such people an additional thrill to kill as many people as possible before they themselves are shot."