OLYMPIA, Wash. — Julia Berus is not only passionate about preventing school shootings, she speaks from experience.
The Ingraham High School sophomore said she was about 10 feet from the deadly shooting of a classmate in November 2022.
Seattle police said a 14-year-old student was responsible for the shooting.
Berus said she is still traumatized by the shooting and the lockdown it created.
”You think about how you could have hugged your dad for just one second longer or said one more, ‘I love you’ to your boyfriend,’” said Berus.
The 16-year-old spoke during a rally on the state Capitol steps Wednesday morning with more than 100 other Seattle-area high school students.
Two gun-related bills are awaiting votes on the on the House floor, one is potentially going to be heard in the Senate as well.
They have until Wednesday, March 8 to pass off their respective chamber floors to continue to progress in this year’s legislative session.
House Bill 1240, would require permits and training for anyone who wants to purchase a gun, and Senate Bill 5078 would hold manufacturers responsible when their guns are used illegally.
The ban on so-called “military style assault weapons” has failed multiple times in Olympia.
Rep. Jim Walsh, (R) Grays Harbor Co., spoke against this year's proposal during a public hearing in Olympia in January.
"Restricting certain types of firearms restricts the tool that violent minds use to make mayhem isn't the best solution. The right solution is to try and reach the violent mind,” said Walsh.
Margaret Eby, a licensed firearms instructor at Olympia’s Glacier Gun Club said she likes the idea of requiring gun buyers to take a safety training course.
”I am a big proponent of knowledge is power, knowledge is safety,” said Eby.