One of the young survivors of the Parkland shooting, which left 17 dead, has quit Facebook after claiming he received death threats from anti-gun control activists.
Cameron Kasky, 17, who created the hashtag #NeverAgain after the February 14 massacre at his school Marjory Douglas Stoneman High in Florida, wrote on Twitter: ‘Temporarily got off Facebook because there’s no character count so the death threats from the cultists are a bit more graphic than those on Twitter.’
The message has so far garnered more than 35,000 likes.
On the day of the shooting, Kasky addressed pro-gun advocates with a scathing Facebook post: ‘I’m safe… Thank you to all the second amendment warriors who protected me.’
Two days after shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, carried out the massacre, Kasky launched the #NeverAgain campaign, urging his supporters to make it go viral – which it did.
Cameron Kasky (pictured), one of the young survivors of the Parkland shooting, which left 17 dead, has quit Facebook after claiming he received death threats from anti-gun control activists
Kasky, 17, created the hashtag #NeverAgain after the February 14 massacre at his school Marjory Douglas Stoneman High in Florida
Kasky (above, addressing students from his school) and others at the youthful vanguard of the anti-gun campaign plan to create a ‘Badge of Shame’ for politicians who continue to accept money from the National Rifle Association
Since then, he and fellow survivors have started getting harassed online.
Kasky and others at the youthful vanguard of the anti-gun campaign plan to create a ‘Badge of Shame’ for politicians who continue to accept money from the National Rifle Association.
‘At this point, any politician on either side who is taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this,’ Kasky told ABC’s This Week.
‘The NRA is fostering and promoting this gun culture in which people like Nikolas Cruz can gun down 17 innocent lives in our school.’
A representative for Facebook told Business Insider that it removes harassing content as soon as its moderators are aware of it.
‘We want Facebook to be a safe and respectful environment. Bullying and harassment run counter to those goals, and have no place on Facebook or Messenger. We remove this content as soon as we’re made aware of it,’ a spokesperson said.
Perhaps Kasky’s most high-profile moment came on Wednesday, when he confronted US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida at a CNN ‘town hall’ event broadcast on prime time.
Appearing relaxed and confident, the teen confronted the one-time presidential candidate, who has received funding from the NRA: ‘Senator Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA in the future?’
The question sparked a debate between the high school junior and Rubio, who said he would not refuse future NRA donations because ‘people buy into my agenda – and I do support the Second Amendment.
‘I will always accept the help of anyone who agrees with my agenda.’
Among the other survivors who have since been harassed online are David Hogg.
Earlier this week, Kasky confronted the one-time presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio of Florida – who has received funding from the NRA – at a CNN ‘town hall’ event broadcast on prime time
The 17-year-old aspiring journalist took refuge in a closet during the school massacre. Despite the terrifying circumstances, his instinct led him to film interviews with his fellow students while in hiding. The video went viral.
Hogg was recruited by Kasky to help lead the #NeverAgain movement.
But his experience in recent days lays bare the politicization of the issue. Hogg’s father is a retired FBI agent and right-wing conspiracy theorists believe the agency is behind a shadowy campaign to bring down Trump.
The teen has been attacked and harassed online, and even accused of being a ‘crisis actor’ paid to travel to tragedies to propagate liberal viewpoints.
‘I am not a crisis actor,’ Hogg said. ‘I’m someone who had to witness this and live through this and I continue to be having to do that. I’m not acting on anybody’s behalf.’
Survivors of the shooting are planning a March For Our Lives event in Washington, DC, on March 24.