Tony Montalto on Gun Violence: A Father's Plea for Action After Parkland and Minneapolis Tragedies

A Father's Grief and Empathy

• 💔 Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was killed in the Parkland shooting, shares his empathy for parents in Minneapolis who have lost children to gun violence.
• 😔 He describes the initial shock and the ongoing nightmare of waking up every day missing his daughter.
• 🛠️ Montalto advises grieving parents to focus on breathing, accepting help, and navigating unimaginable tasks like choosing coffins.

Advocating for Change: Stand with Parkland

• ✊ Montalto discusses the formation of Stand with Parkland, a national association of families dedicated to fighting for safer schools.
• ⚖️ He highlights their success in helping pass nine school safety laws in Florida and four federal laws since the Parkland tragedy.
• 🤝 These legislative achievements were notably bipartisan, emphasizing a shared desire for school safety across political divides.

Addressing the Roots of Violence

• ⚠️ Montalto challenges the notion that perpetrators exhibit no signs, suggesting signs may exist but are not always reported or acted upon.
• 👂 He stresses the importance of having clear channels to report concerning behaviors, such as suicidal or homicidal tendencies.
• 📱 The Colombia protocol and apps like Fortify Florida and safer watch are mentioned as tools to facilitate reporting and intervention.

Mental Health in Schools

• 🧠 Montalto acknowledges a significant lack of mental health providers for children in schools.
• 🔗 He explains efforts in Florida to connect schools with community mental health services and appoint mental health coordinators to prevent individuals from falling through the cracks.