Dawson College forms gun control coalition

Students and teachers at Dawson College have come togetherto demand stronger national gun laws, in the wake of the deadly Sept. 13shooting at the school that killed one student and injured 19.

Twenty-five-year-old Kimveer Gill, the gunman who stormed Dawson Collegeand opened fire on students, owned an arsenal of firearms that he purchased legally and registered.

Members of the newly formed Dawson College gun control coalition say theshooting shook many Quebecers out of complacency regarding gun laws, and has fostered a vigorous debate about firearms legislation.

The terrifying incident should force legislators to take a close look at what it takes to ensure public safety, said the coalition. And that includes strict firearms control, said Mary Hlywa, a teacher at Dawson College and a coalition member.

"In the immediate future,"Hlywa said, "I think there is a threat to our security and safety. For many individuals, the first question is: 'How was it possible for someone like Kimveer to carry a semi-automatic military assault rifle and use it freely?'"

The coalition plans to write letters to politicians in Ottawa, to elicit their support for current gun laws, and lobby for stronger legislation.

"We invite whoever is interested to join us in a letter-writing campaign to our MPs, and maybe we can join together, so maybe we can prevent such an extreme form of violence from happening again," said Hlywa, who is also a member of the Dawson Teachers Union executive committee.

The Dawson coalition has secured the support of the teachers union, as well as the students union, and the National Coalition for Gun Control.