Two School Shootings, One Activist: A Brown University student’s journey from Saugus to Rhode Island gun-safety law

A Brown University student who survived two school shootings—one at Saugus High School in California in 2019 and another on Brown’s campus last year—has emerged as a prominent gun-safety advocate, linking personal trauma to a broader push for policy change.

In 2019, when she was 15 and a freshman at Saugus High School, an older student walked onto campus with a firearm. The moment unfolded in a crowded quad that suddenly emptied as shots rang out. She ran to her Spanish classroom, later learned she had been shot, and was airlifted to a hospital with a .45-caliber bullet lodged in her stomach. Her best friend, Dominic, was killed beside her. Those memories have shaped a lifetime of fear, but they have also become fuel for action as she turned survivorhood into advocacy.

The second shooting came on Dec. 13, when her life at Brown University was upended as alerts about an active shooter flooded in. She and countless classmates were forced to confront a nightmare that many students hoped they would never endure again. Two students were killed and nine wounded as they studied in quiet rooms and libraries, exactly as education is supposed to unfold—without fear. For Tretta, the incident was not just a memory but a reminder that gun violence remains a defining risk for students across the country. “This is the second school shooting I have lived through,” she said in interviews and public appearances following the Brown incident.

In the wake of Brown, Tretta has channeled her experience into organized action. She leads Brown University’s Students Demand Action chapter, a student-led group pressing for safer gun laws and accountability in the gun industry. She has spoken publicly about the need to move beyond condolences toward concrete policy changes, arguing that no student should have to endure a school day under the threat of gun violence. “No student should ever receive an alert telling them to ‘run, hide, and fight’ simply because they chose to go to class,” she said, underscoring a broader demand for safety that extends beyond any single campus.

Her advocacy extends beyond campus walls. Earlier this year, Tretta joined peers across Rhode Island in a campaign to pass an assault weapons ban, a political achievement she connected to the urgency she felt after Brown. The plan culminated in a formal vote at the Rhode Island State House, where supporters celebrated the passage of the ban on June 21, 2025. The moment was portrayed by supporters as a turning point in a state that Tretta says can model a pragmatic approach to safety while acknowledging the limits of thoughts and prayers in the face of violence.

“The tragedy at Brown is a devastating reminder that progress cannot stop there—not in Rhode Island and not across the country,” Tretta said at the State House and in interviews. “Our grief must turn into action. I will honor those we lost by continuing to fight for public safety. Not just for students at Brown, but for every student in every classroom across this country.”

The initiatives Tretta supports are grounded in a broader national debate about gun access, school safety, and the balance between rights and responsibilities. Proponents of stricter gun controls point to the frequency of school shootings and argue for measures such as enhanced background checks, red-flag laws, and restrictions on high-capacity weapons. Opponents emphasize personal freedoms and the challenges of enforcing policies that they say may not prevent all violent acts. Across the United States, lawmakers, educators, and advocates continue to grapple with these questions while survivors like Tretta push for tangible steps that can reduce risk on campuses.

For Tretta, the fight is personal and political. She describes a long arc from the immediate shock of both shootings to a sustained campaign aimed at preventing future tragedies. As she notes, the experiences have reshaped not only her education but her sense of civic responsibility. Her work with Students Demand Action has included organizing forums, engaging with lawmakers, and amplifying student voices in negotiations over who bears responsibility for preventing gun violence on campus and beyond.

The Rhode Island assault weapons ban, she says, is an important, incremental victory, but it is not the end of the story. “We should not have to survive school to graduate from it,” she said, emphasizing the ongoing need for laws and practices that protect students while respecting civil liberties. Her message to fellow students and policymakers is clear: grief should translate into action, and accountability should accompany every moment when a classroom door opens to the possibility of danger.

As Tretta looks to the future, she remains focused on building a movement that sustains momentum beyond anniversaries and media coverage. She hopes that the Rhode Island example will inspire similar efforts in other states and across the country, contributing to a broader shift in how communities understand safety, prevention, and the shared obligation to protect students who walk into schools each day. In her view, progress will require continued engagement, honest conversations, and policies grounded in evidence and compassion rather than silence in the face of fear.