US citizens destroy their guns in viral #Oneless campaign in wake of Florida school shooting

'I am going to make sure this weapon will never be able to take a life'
Chloe Chaplain20 February 2018

A viral internet campaign urging gun owners to destroy their weapons to prevent yet another mass shooting is sweeping the US.

The #Oneless campaign is gathering momentum in the United States. One man's emotional video showing himself sawing in half his AR-15 rifle sparked a huge outpouring of support online.

The movement calls on people to destroy their guns to ensure they do not get into the wrong hands and are used to take lives.

Footage of Scott-Dani Pappalardo – a licensed gun owner – who shared a poignant video of him speaking about the devastating high school shooting that left 17 students and teachers dead is sweeping the anti-gun movement in the US.

In the footage, Mr Pappalardo described himself as being one of the many American citizens who had always supported the right to bear arms.

He said he is such a believer in the Second Amendment, in fact, that he had the law tattooed on his arm.

But the Valentine’s Day shooting – the deadliest school massacre in the US since the Sandy Hook tragedy - had forced him to take personal action.

Speaking into the camera, he said: “I remember when Sandy Hook happened I said to my wife I would gladly give this gun up if it would save the life of just one child.

Florida high school shooting - February 2018

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“And that was five years ago now. And since then over 400 people have been shot in over 200 school shootings, so I guess my words were just empty words in the spur of the moment. And now here we are, 17 more lives lost.

“So when do we change, when do we make laws that say maybe a weapon like this isn’t acceptable in today’s society?

“Ultimately, it is a gun like this one that take away so many lives. I have decided today, I am going to make sure this weapon will never be able to take a life.”

The video then shows him taking the weapon to an angle grinder and sawing it in half.

He then says: “For all you haters out there that think that I am very stupid for doing this, I hope and I pray that it doesn’t take the barrel of one of these things pointed at your child’s head to change your mind.”

His post went viral across social media, prompting others to share the hashtag and praise him for speaking out on the contentious issue.

Others have begun to post similar videos. One woman filmed herself saying: “I’m not a protester, activist, anything like that.

“I am just a regular hillbilly gun owner probably like many of you. I really like this gun but you know what I like more? Is when people don’t get killed.

“The only way that I can know for sure that this gun will never hurt anyone is if it doesn’t exist.”

Footage then shows the woman, named Amanda Meyer, sawing parts the firearm in half with an angle grinder – leaving the gun unusable.

The posts have garnered a mixed response, with some people insisting that “guns are not the root of the problem” and many dismissing the idea as “stupid”.

But others have implored people to share the videos and encourage all gun owners to consider the implications of owning a firearm.

The movement comes as one hundred students from Stoneman Douglas High School were set to trek 400 miles to urge politicians to prevent a repeat of the massacre.

They plan to hold a rally on Wednesday in a bid to put pressure on the state's Republican-controlled legislature to consider a sweeping package of gun-control laws.

Students are also calling for anti-gun violence demonstrations in Washington and other cities on March 24.

The shooting suspect, 19-year-old ex-student Nikolas Cruz, made his first appearance in court on Monday.

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