The auditorium at McCaskey High School was filled with students, faculty, and community members as a familiar voice returned home to facilitate a conversation that is both urgent and deeply personal. David Greene, a McCaskey alum and NPR host, along with musician Ketch Secor and filmmaker Doug Pray, brought their documentary Louder than Guns to McCaskey, using the power of music to navigate difficult conversations about gun violence in America.
The film, which captures conversations from rural and urban communities across the country, aims to move beyond divisive rhetoric and toward personal, meaningful dialogue. Ahead of its regional premiere hosted by the Steinman Foundation at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, Greene and Secor made a special stop at McCaskey to engage with students directly.
“How could we possibly have a conversation about protecting our kids without involving them?” Greene asked, underscoring the importance of amplifying student voices. Five McCaskey students courageously shared their personal experiences with gun violence, highlighting both the fear they live with and their frustration at the political gridlock surrounding gun safety.
Sophomore Sofia Nesbitt recalled preparing to leave her home in Lancaster City when a shooting erupted outside. Freshman Mary Scarlet Schuler admitted that she often worries about encountering a gun in her daily life. “If I’m in a public place and I see someone reaching for a bag, my first thought shouldn’t be whether that is a gun, but it is,” she said.
Beyond personal testimony, the discussion addressed practical solutions. Lindsay Pringle, Manager of Community Health and Wellness with Penn Medicine, emphasized the role of safe firearm storage in reducing gun violence. “We are currently facing a public health crisis, and one simple solution is locking up firearms safely,” she said. She explained that the partnership with David Greene and Louder than Guns was an opportunity to align local safe storage initiatives with a broader national conversation. “Music is an instrument that really can help with emotion, and by incorporating it today, we’re bringing home the emotional component of this topic,” she added.
Community leaders also contributed to the discussion, including Millersville University Chief of Police Pete Anders, Megan Beyerle, the Education Coordinator with Mental Health America of Lancaster, and Dr. Pia Fenimore. Each spoke on the concerns surrounding gun safety and the importance of mental health awareness in preventing violence.
McCaskey Principal Dr. Justin Reese reflected on the significance of this event for students. “This gives our students an opportunity to demonstrate how civically engaged they really are and how much they’re paying attention to what we, as a school system and as a community, are doing around these critical issues.” He explained that the conversation with Greene and Secor emerged from ongoing discussions on violence reduction and gun safety efforts within the district, making it a natural extension of work already happening at McCaskey.
Music served as a unifying force throughout the discussion. Student musicians, in partnership with Music for Everyone, performed alongside Secor, reinforcing the film’s central theme, that music has the power to open minds and create common ground. Secor described the “front-row effect,” where people of all political backgrounds and beliefs stand together at a concert, connected by a shared love of music. “If we can come together for a concert, why can’t we come together for an honest conversation about firearms?” he asked.
This event was not just about dialogue; it was about action. Students shared ideas for improving school safety, from enforcing ID policies fairly to considering more thorough security measures. Some spoke about concerns with access to firearms within their own households and the importance of responsible gun ownership. Others pointed to inconsistencies in security enforcement at school, highlighting the need for a more transparent and equitable approach.
At the conclusion of the event, students were provided with gun safety materials and cable locks to encourage responsible firearm storage, reinforcing the message that simple safety measures can save lives.
As Greene noted, the most powerful voices in the gun safety conversation belong to young people. “They have the most compelling, most important, and most articulate arguments for why we need to protect them.” Students expressed frustration that adults often dismiss their concerns and fail to act decisively on the issue. They emphasized that gun safety should not be a political battle but a shared responsibility.
The Louder than Guns event at McCaskey illustrated how critical conversations can happen when people are willing to listen. It reinforced the idea that students deserve a seat at the table in discussions about their safety and that music can be an effective tool for bringing people together. Change begins with dialogue, and McCaskey students are eager to push that conversation forward.