Gun control activist and Sandy Hook father David Cole Wheeler to deliver April 8 convocation
In his presentation, “A Father’s Journey: A Personal View from Sandy Hook,” he will share his journey of grief along with sharp and thoughtful analysis of vital questions concerning gun violence and mental health awareness.
David Cole Wheeler, gun control activist and father of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim, will deliver Carleton College’s convocation address on Friday, April 8, from 10:50-11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. In his presentation, “A Father’s Journey: A Personal View from Sandy Hook,” he will share his journey of grief along with sharp and thoughtful analysis of vital questions concerning gun violence and mental health awareness.
Wheeler’s son Benjamin was one of twenty first-graders murdered on December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook. Wheeler has since attempted to make sense of the tragedy, which by all measures seems senseless, and finds that only through understanding is it possible to find solutions that will help make our communities safer. Together with moving accounts of his personal experience, Wheeler helps his audience pull back the frame and see how cultural and societal change must be the driving force to protect future generations from the threat of gun violence.
Wheeler is not new to the stage; he worked for twenty years in New York City as an actor in theater, film and television. When it was time for a career better suited to supporting a family, Wheeler found another creative pursuit in design and illustration. He now works in gift publishing, package design and illustration.
Wheeler received his B.A. from San Diego State University.
Carleton convocations are free and open to the public. Masks are required, and visitors are expected to be fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible) or to have received a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 24 hours before attending an event. Find upcoming events and archived recordings on the Convocations website. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-5461.