In February 2018 , Ryan and his son Patrick Petty accompanied Governor Rick Scott to Tallahasse to speak to the Florida House and Senate about the impact to their family of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the need for legislative reform targeted at improving school safety . Petty spoke to both chambers asking them to set aside political differences to make our schools safe . " If this evolves into a gun control debate , we are going to miss our opportunity to get something done , " Petty said . " The message is simple , this time must be different we have an opportunity to get our schools secure . " Petty has been praised for his ability to work across the aisle to tackle the issue of school shootings in the United States , meeting with lawmakers and other officials in Florida and Washington , D.C . In April 2018 , Petty and his wife Kelly launched a nonprofit organization , The WalkUp Foundation ; which is dedicated to improving the culture in our public schools by funding programs that influence engagement within the student body . The WalkUp Foundation also funds early identification & threat assessment programs , which has been demonstrated to help prevent acts of school violence . In partnership with the U.S. Secret Service and The Columbia Lighthouse Project at Columbia University , The WalkUp Foundation is working to ensure that school districts are equipped with best practices and training for proactive threat assessment
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Ryan Petty