Gun reform organization Change The Ref is raising awareness about 3D-printed guns with 3D printing technology of its own – a 3D-printed sculpture the group is calling “the first 3D activist” in a campaign created in collaboration with the agency Alma.
The sculpture is modeled after Joaquín Oliver, Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting victim and son of Change The Ref founders Manuel and Patricia Oliver.
Entitled “Guac is Back,” the campaign is centered around a 3D sculpture of Joaquín holding a bouquet of flowers, in tribute to the Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend he was holding when he died.
The statue of Joaquín is wearing a pin which, when scanned with a smartphone, directs viewers to a website collecting signatures for a petition demanding action against 3D-printed guns and encourages visitors to register to vote.
An emotional video features Manuel Oliver explaining that his family fled gun violence in Venezuela to settle in the U.S. and that Joaquin himself was an activist.
The statue of Joaquín is wearing a pin which, when scanned with a smartphone, directs viewers to a website collecting signatures for a petition demanding action against 3D-printed guns and encourages visitors to register to vote.
Father Of Parkland Shooting Victim Sculpts Haunting Image Of Child Hiding Under Desk
Manuel Oliver created “The Last Lockdown” partially using 3D printing
Artist Manuel Oliver, who lost his 17-year-old son Joaquin during the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has created a striking sculpture depicting a child hiding under a desk to signify when a school is on lockdown.
The statue is one of 10 being shown across the country during voter registration drives, specifically in congressional districts where politicians back the gun lobby. The title of the project is “The Last Lockdown.”
The figures were created using 3D printers, an intentional reference to the debate over guns potentially being 3D printed.
The desks are real school desks. “We want you to feel unsettled,” the project’s co-creator Sean Leonard said.
Oliver and Leonard teamed up with Giffords, the gun reform group founded by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
Giffords is a mass shooting victim herself, being left partially paralyzed after a lone gunman opened fire at a meet-and-greet in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011.
“The last day I saw my son was Valentine’s Day, so he was bringing flowers for his girlfriend.
We all have the right to react however we want. But the way we react will also be part of who you are. I lost my son and my best friend which is very painful. I can just be sad or fight.
It shouldn’t be the ‘new normal‘ to think that our kids could be targets.
This is not about me. This is not about how I feel. This is about my son. He’s part of what the kids are asking for.
Those kids you saw in Washington now have a new member.
Thank you to the @MiamiHeat & @DwyaneWade for all the love and support that they’ve shown to @ChangeTheRef and Oliver family!
ChangeTheRef and the kids thank the outstanding Miami Heat organization for going above and beyond to keep Joaquin’s voice alive through our mission and to bring smile to all of his friends faces!
Please watch this video and share with others so that we can spread the word about how we are trying to change the world!
Be a part of the change we are making in this world.
~~November 5, 2018~~ 
It Is What It Is 