Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fl., speaks on the House floor Wednesday, Jan. 22, about Trump’s decision to shut down the website of the White House Office for the Prevention of Gun Violence. The office’s page went dark one day before the latest school shooting, this time in Nashville. | Photo via C-SPAN
School shootings have, unfortunately become just as much a part of American culture as apple pie. Weeks into the new year, the community of Nashville is reeling from a shooting at Antioch High School. On Wednesday morning, a 17-year-old student armed with a pistol fired multiple shots in a school cafeteria, leaving one female student dead and several classmates injured. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.
The shooting came only one day after the Trump administration did away with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (WHOGVP) webpage and reportedly eliminated the whole office.
Amidst a number of sweeping executive orders that have drawn ire from opponents and progressives, the White House website, now controlled by Trump’s staff, quietly took down the page leading to the WHOGVP. The office was established by former President Joe Biden in 2023 under the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and overseen by former Vice President Kamala Harris.
It was the first-ever agency of its kind, with a $350 million budget and mandated to work on solutions to combat community violence. The office was tasked with four key responsibilities:
- Coordinating the federal response to mass shootings and concentrations of community gun violence;
- Expanding state and local partnerships to help reduce gun violence;
- Developing and implementing executive actions on gun safety to save lives; and
- Implementing the BSCA and other federal gun violence prevention laws.
The creation of WHOGVP marked a contrast to the usual “thoughts and prayers” mantra from government officials when firearm tragedies take place. The office was intended as an effort to implement real attempts at solution, such as getting ghost guns off the streets (guns made by an individual, not a federally licensed manufacturer).
In a short time, the office made some significant gains toward its goals, such as distributing millions in federal grants, including $1.5 million to the City of Orlando’s Community Violence Intervention Program.
Trump, who courted the National Rifle Association (NRA) during his presidential campaign, made it no secret that he would dismantle much of the gun legislation championed by Biden and reverse regulations. At the NRA’s Presidential Forum in Harrisburg, Penn., last year, Trump stated, “Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated on my very first week back in office, perhaps my first day.”
Now back in the White House, he’s making good on his promise. But those who worked for the creation of WHOGVP are not to be backing down without a fight. Florida Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who advocated for WHOGVP, rebuked the Trump administration’s dismantling of the office and vowed to keep fighting for better gun legislation.
In a statement, Frost said: “Donald Trump’s reckless decision to close the Office of Gun Violence Prevention is a betrayal of the American people. This office was saving lives, not playing politics. We need leaders on both sides of the aisle to prioritize the safety of our communities. The fight for common-sense gun reform is far from over.”
On the U.S. House floor this week, Frost spoke further, arguing that WHOGVP had “helped reduce gun violence by 20% and delivered the lowest violent crime rate in over 50 years.” Citing the Antioch High School shooting, the congressman added:
“[This happens] while this [Trump] administration is busy signing executive orders that have nothing to do with helping working families and keeping our communities safe. After every mass shooting, the cries of grieving families begged us to do something over the last four years, and we did it by making this office. But here we are again, forced to abandon the efforts that have saved lives. Leaders on both sides of the aisle need to come together to pass commonsense gun reform, and we can’t stop fighting until we have another Office of Gun Violence Prevention.”
While giving his speech, Frost stood next to a poster printout of the 404 error message that now appears when anyone attempts to go to the WHOGVP page.
As the Trump administration continues to lean into extreme ideals and policies, those radicalized by such rhetoric are growing more emboldened. If reports are to be believed, that is the case with the Antioch High School shooter, Solomon Henderson.
In a press conference after the shooting, Nashville Police Chief John Drake stated that his office was looking into the social media posts and writings of Henderson. The 17-year-old allegedly posted alt-right paraphernalia, praises for past school shootings, and statements condemning “race mixing” and advocated “death to all non-Aryan races.”
His postings across multiple social media platforms amount to an estimated 300-page manifesto of sorts. Henderson, who was Black, expressed hatred for being Black and named right-wing podcasters like Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes as influences. The young man also expressed agreement with white supremacist ideology and admiration for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
This comes just days after tech businessman—and Trump’s right-hand oligarch—Elon Musk was recorded doing a gesture repeatedly that closely resembled a Nazi salute on Trump’s inauguration day.
While the Antioch shooting is the first of the year, if recent history is any guide, it will most likely not be the last. According to Education Week, as of the end of 2024, there have been 222 school shootings in which at least one person was killed or injured since 2018. The organization said there 39 school shootings just last year.
Will 2025 be much of the same, or worse? With the new administration in the White House and the GOP majorities in Congress both determined to loosen gun controls, there may not be much legislation or regulation left to protect communities from violence.
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