Sophia Bush has shared that guns became a part of her life at a very early age! In a new interview with People, Bush said that she got her first gun— a .22 rifle— when she was just 12 years old. "Going to the range was the thing my dad and I loved to do together and something that I really took to," Bush explained in this week's issue of the magazine.
"Riflery, and then marksmanship in general, became a passion of mine and over the years has been something that I've continued to pursue. It proved to be both a lot of fun and a good skill set in my line of work."
Bush says not having gun safety regulations "feels a bit mental"
Bush may have owned a gun for most of her life, but she also understands the responsibilities that come with having one. As People mentions, the actress is part of the Creative Council for Everytown for Gun Safety, and uses her voice to bring attention to the issue of gun control.
"I’m a really passionate advocate for responsible gun ownership and for much stricter legislation around gun ownership," she said. "It feels a bit mental that we wouldn't regulate guns in the same way that we regulate cars, for example. You have to pass a test, have insurance, get your qualifications checked."
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Everytown will be hosting its annual Wear Orange campaign virtually this year starting on June 5— which is National Gun Awareness Day— and lasting until June 7. The purpose of the campaign is to advocate for a future without gun violence, an issue that has affected Bush personally.
Bush shares that her second cousin was a victim of mass shooting
Bush opened up to People about how the 2011 Tucson shooting claimed the life of her second cousin, Christina-Taylor Green, who was just 9 years old when the tragedy took place. "Anyone out there who doesn't think it could happen to them is thinking on borrowed time," she said. She also talked about why wearing orange is associated with the anti-gun violence movement.
"The campaign started in Chicago, where Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in 2013 at 15 years old. Her friends wore orange in her honor, and since then orange has been the defining color of the gun-violence-prevention movement," Bush explained. "When we can get entire cities to turn orange, entire social media feeds, we can really garner some attention and spark conversations."
Bush says the issue of gun violence "feels far away" for many
Bush then went on to talk about how the issue at hand may seem daunting, but people can help make a change. "People look at something like gun violence, they look at something like systemic racism, they look at something like political corruption, and they think, 'How am I ever going to do something about that?'" she said.
"That feels big. That feels far away. They aren't as tuned in to how close the effect of issues like those are. It's up to all of us to remind ourselves that if this has happened to a family somewhere, it's happened to our family."
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Since the Wear Orange event has gone virtual this year, Bush encourages people to use their social media platforms to advocate. "Every single one of us has a platform now — that's been one of the incredible benefits of the democratization of the internet," she said.
"If this is important to you, post about it, talk about it. Offer some facts to the people who are in your circle. Figure out how you can have a conversation publicly and how you can have a conversation at home and to make sure that you're doing both. Your platform is yours, and you can use it for the betterment of society."
