Life After the Unthinkable: Two Students Face Gun Violence Again

Two students at Brown University know all too well the terror of a school shooting. They've lived through it before.

Mia Tretta's Story

• Age at Shooting: 16
• Location: Saugus High School
• Year: 2019
• Casualties: 2 killed, 3 injured (including Tretta)
• Shooter: 16-year-old boy (suicided after the attack)

Tretta lost her best friend that day. She chose Brown for its smaller, secure environment, but the trauma followed her. She now avoids the library alone, fearing another attack.

Zoe Weissman's Story

• Age at Shooting: 12
• Location: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Florida)
• Year: 2018
• Casualties: 17 killed

Weissman witnessed the aftermath from her nearby middle school. On that Saturday at Brown, she received a call from a friend about the shooting. She stayed in her dorm, feeling numb—just like she did at 12.

The Brown University Shooting

• Date: A Saturday at Brown University
• Casualties: 2 killed, 9 injured
• Shooter: Still at large

Turning Trauma into Action

• Zoe Weissman: Activist for stricter gun laws. Former president of March for Our Lives in Parkland at just 16.
• Mia Tretta: Advocate for change, believing her story can make a difference.

The Reality of Gun Violence

• A problem that needs solving.
• These students prove trauma can follow you anywhere—but it can also be turned into something positive.