City and UW-Madison officials joined members of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort at a lie-in"" tribute at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre.
Wearing ribbons made by the victims' families and survivors of the shooting, over 20 WAVE members silently laid side by side on the Rotunda floor for several minutes. Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and University of Wisconsin Police Department Chief Sue Riseling also attended the tribute to remember the tragedy and call for more stringent gun control policies.
""Our country has seen two more of these shootings on universities since last April, but we've seen countless shootings like this now at malls, churches, post offices, restaurants, schools, universities and even city halls,"" Riseling said.
According to Riseling, easy access to guns and ammunition in many parts of the country give violent people such as Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho the ability to obtain and use firearms.
UW-Madison freshman and WAVE member Jenna Bonavia said she admired the vibrant student community but noted that things like stress and alcohol use could foster dangerous situations, making strict gun control vital for campus safety.
""Students are an imperfect breed, we are constantly learning and adjusting and to do this we need to live in a community where we all feel safe,"" Bonavia said.
Over 80 other cities, including Milwaukee, participated in similar ""lie-in"" ceremonies remembering the Virginia Tech tragedy.
Lori Haas, mother of shooting victim and survivor Emily Haas, sent a letter to tribute organizers thanking them for the tribute.
""It has been a painful journey this past year, but we are uplifted to know so many people care and are giving of their time and energy in the fight to protect our children and the public safety,"" Haas said.
