Parkland dad protests on Stoneman Douglas anniversary (includes video story)

The father of one of the students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas mass shooting climbed a construction crane near the White House to send a message on the fourth anniversary of the deadly day. 

Manuel Oliver, the father of Joaquin Oliver, climbed a 150-foot construction tower and draped a banner with his late son’s face on it that read “45k people died from gun violence on your watch” to send a message directly to Joe Biden. 

Gun violence activists used the anniversary of the day on which 17 people were killed in Parkland, Florida, to pressure the White House. 

David Hogg, a student survivor, says President Biden has been a friend but not a leader against gun violence. “I’m disappointed and frankly, if I could say one thing to the President, it’s that we need you to go out and act right now before the next Parkland happens — because there are things you can do right now to help prevent it that you have not done,” he said. “We need you to make good on your promises because kids are dying.”

Police arrested three people following the Monday incident in Washington. It is unknown who the three people are at this time.

Sophia Lama is a senior at Florida International University majoring in broadcast journalism. She was ABC 7 Chicago’s first-ever race and culture reporting intern. Currently, Sophia is a part of the NBCU Diversity, Equity & Inclusion fellowship in Washington, DC and is interning for ESPN.