Video campaign shows ‘school shooting’ sympathy cards for sale

'I’m sorry your kid was gunned down in gym class'

A gun control advocacy group has created a video showing people’s reactions to “school shooting” greeting cards.

Change the Ref, a gun safety nonprofit organisation, created the video stunt to bring awareness to the school shooting epidemic. The organisation is led by Manuel and Patricia Oliver who lost their son Joaquin, one of the 17 victims, in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in February 2018.

The video, seemingly from a hidden camera, show shoppers walking by or perusing through greeting cards at a store. There is a whole section among the greeting cards allocated in the events for school shootings.

The shoppers seem startled, some let out a gasp, and others came back to show a fellow shopper or friend.

The cards, in big white font with a black background, either read “I’m sorry” or “sympathy” multiple of times. The message in each card differs with some saying, “I’m sorry your kid got shot at school today,” “I’m sorry your kid was gunned down in gym class,” or “sympathy on the shooting of your classmates” among others.

The video ends with a simple message: “Mass Sympathy Cards Coming Soon ... If we do nothing.”

As of December 10, 2018, according to data from the US Naval Postgraduate School, there has been 94 school gun violence incidents this year. This is the highest number of incidents since 1970.