BOCA RATON, Fla. — Catherine Donovan was an assistant principal at Sawgrass Springs Middle School, just minutes from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on Feb. 14, 2018, when a gunman killed 17 students and staff members. Years later, the Boca Raton resident is still fighting to make sure nothing like that happens again.
Donovan is now retired and spends time advocating for gun safety laws and proper firearm storage.
Donovan is a gun owner, shared her story at our "Let's Hear It" event at the Boca Raton Art Museum. She arrived wearing a Marjory Stoneman Douglas T-shirt and carrying a portable gun safe.
"To go through that and not see our children go through that, and the poor parents, the whole community, it affects the whole community," said Donovan.
Donovan has traveled to Tallahassee recently to speak out against House Bill 133, which would roll back part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Specifically, the bill would lower the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 21 to 18 — an age restriction that was put in place following the 2018 mass shooting. The bill has passed the Florida House and is now in the Senate.
"Recently I went up for 133, which they're trying to lower the age back to 18, which is a terrible mistake," said Donovan.
According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, gun deaths remain the leading cause of death among young people ages 1 to 17, with 2,566 young lives lost in 2023.
Beyond legislation, Donovan is also focused on educating the public about safe gun storage, pointing to the frequency with which unsecured firearms lead to tragedy.
"Every time I see a news show, there's some child who's grabbed a gun that's not locked up," said Donovan.
She said she feels a personal responsibility to keep speaking out, believing that every conversation could make a difference.
"We try to get the word out, I feel like anytime I could talk to a group, I can save maybe one life," said Donovan.
Her message is straightforward — responsible storage and stronger safety laws can prevent deaths.
"We can prevent all gun accidents; we just have to have them locked up," said Donovan. "We just want safety, we just want our students to be safe in school, our little ones to be safe at work.”
We want to be your voice and help you find solutions.
While we hold our monthly Let's Hear It meet-ups, we know many are not able to attend, but we still want to hear from you and start taking action to get you answers. You can e-mail us at LetsHearIt@wptv.com.
