https://ift.tt/wEcZxH father of a Parkland High School shooting victim is on his way home now after spending two weeks protesting outside the White House, trying to meet President Joe Biden to push for gun control.
While Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed, did not meet with the president, he did meet with White House officials, he said.
Joaquin “Guac” Oliver was one of 17 killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
“On Thursday, after standing in front of the White House for 15 days, I met with [Senior Adviser to the President] Cedric Richmond, [Domestic Policy Adviser] Susan Rice and other administration officials working to tackle the public health crisis of gun violence,” Oliver said in a statement.
“I expressed my frustration with the administration’s limited focus on this critical issue and communicated my expectation — and the expectations of survivors across the country — that the administration will step up its commitment in year two and outline a clear plan of action at next year’s State of the Union.”
Oliver said that he felt reassured that the “White House understands the urgency of addressing this crisis and the need for the president to become more involved.”
“We asked yesterday that we needed President Biden … to declare war [on] gun violence. … If he doesn’t, we will,” he told CNN.
Settlement with government