WOODRUFF: Five years ago today, families in Newtown, Connecticut, suffered an unimaginable
tragedy.
Troubled 20-year-old shot his way into the Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20
first graders and six educators.
Nicole Hockley lost her six-year-old son Dylan that day, and since then has been a strong
voice to stop gun violence before it happens.
Special correspondent Lisa Stark, with our partner "Education Week," sat down with Hockley
recently to reflect on the last five years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICOLE HOCKLEY, SANDY HOOK MOM: When the shooting at Sandy Hook School took place, I knew voice
to stop gun violence, or how to prevent it.
It was not on my radar in any way, shape or form.
LISA STARK, PBS NEWSHOUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, that has become Nicole Hockley's life
mission, after losing her son in the massacre at Sandy Hook.
HOCKLEY: I feel it's my moral responsibility to do this, it's the only way I can think
to honor Dylan.
It's the only way I can think to honor his death and provide his legacy, as well as protect
my surviving child.
STARK: Hockley's sons were best buds.
Her oldest, Jake, was unharmed that horrible day and is now 13.
Dylan is forever a six-year old first grader.
HOCKLEY: He was just pure love.
I mean, he was a boy that loved to cuddle, loved a good firm cuddle.
He was just the glue that held our family together.
I can't believe it's about to be five years since I last hugged -- I can't comprehend
that.
STARK: Yes.
HOCKLEY: Probably never will.
STARK: Hockley has poured her grief, and anger, into Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit she and
other Newtown families started just one month after the killings to fight gun violence.
HOCKLEY: I do not want to be someone sharing my experience and consoling another parent
next time, I do not want there to be a next time.
STARK: These days, Hockley has a different look, but the same determination.
HOCKLEY: Sandy Hook promise exists for one reason: to prevent gun violence.
The way we do this by teaching people how to know the signs of someone who's at risk
of hurting themselves or someone else.
STARK: But massacres such as Texas and Las Vegas are constant reminders of how pervasive
gun violence is.
HOCKLEY: It's devastating when I hear of another mass shooting, and I won't lie, it hurts even
more when there are children involved, of course.
The saddest thing for me, personally, after some of these mass shootings, is when I wait
a day, two days, a week, to hear about the signs and signals that were missed because
then I know yet again, this was another preventable act of violence.
STARK: Hockley believes there is only one way forward.
HOCKLEY: It's important to re-frame the conversation around gun violence prevention because unfortunately
as soon as you mention the word "gun," people start taking sides.
You know, this isn't about taking away guns, and this isn't about mental illness either.
Once you get past that barrier, then the doors open, but there's a lot of people that we
need to have that conversation with.
STARK: Is that a tough space to be in, given how polarized this issue has become?
HOCKLEY: It can be tough, but we know that is the right way to do it, and this is something
that is going to have a tangible impact.
There are 300 million guns in this country and a Second Amendment, that’s not going
to change.
STARK: At its beginning, Hockley and Sandy Hook Promise did try to change gun laws, pushing
for universal background checks.
When the bill was defeated in the Senate, it was devastating.
Now, the group is backing extreme risk protection orders, which allow a judge to temporarily
ban someone from having guns if they're a danger to themselves or others.
HOCKLEY: I want politicians not to be afraid to have this conversation.
There are some special interest lobbyist groups whose voice has too much power and I think
politicians should be leaders and listen to the people.
STARK: Hockley is also involved in a lawsuit against Remington, the manufacturer of the
gun used to kill her son.
The lawsuit accuses the company of negligent marketing.
HOCKLEY: We see them do advertising directly to potentially violent prone young men using
military style messaging and images to say to young men, if you don't have an AR-15,
you're not a man.
STARK: Remington argues that under federal law, gun makers cannot be held liable if someone
uses their product in a crime.
Despite the stiff odds, Hockley is undeterred.
I'm going to ask you to look five years ahead, where do you want to be?
HOCKLEY: I would love to make Sandy Hook Promise go out of business because we're not seeing
these deaths happen anymore, but I think that's unlikely in five years.
I know these changes are going to happen, but just not fast enough, and every day that
we waste more people are dying, and I will never accept that.
STARK: For the PBS NEWSHOUR and "Education Week," I'm Lisa Stark in Newtown, Connecticut.