Brown University sophomore Zoe Weissman, who witnessed the 2018 shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, told CNN she’s angry to be enduring another campus shooting.
In an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto late Saturday, Weissman described a mix of anger and shock as the situation at Brown unfolded.
“I think the sadness will set in when we get all the victims identified and find out who we lost as a community,” Weissman said. “But right now, I’m just angry that there are kids like me in this country who have had to go through this not once, but twice.”
Weissman placed blame on “congressional inaction” in addressing gun violence.
“I think that we’ve seen time and time again that Congress has failed to show they actually care about their constituents,” she said. “If they did, they would immediately pass comprehensive gun violence prevention bills.”
The tragedy resurfaced painful memories and emotions from 2018, Weissman said, prompting her to immediately called her mother, just as she did during the Parkland attack.
“It feels like I’m 12 again,” she added. “It feels like it’s 2018 again for my family as well. We’re going through the exact same emotions.”
When asked how her classmates at Brown are coping, Weissman said many have turned to her for guidance on navigating the trauma.
“A lot of them have actually been reaching out to me for advice on how to deal with something like this, which is crazy that I have that experience, the ability to do that,” she said.
“Everyone’s been checking in with each other, making sure everyone is physically safe,” she said. “I think the aftermath is going to come soon after it’s over.”