Dawson shooting victim on campaign to save gun registry

An 18-year-oldstudent who wasshot during the Dawson College rampage on Sept. 13 is crusading for better gun control in Canada.

On Thursday night, Hayder Kadhim went back to school to meet with about 150 students, including Dawson's student council, to pitch his mission to save the federal firearms registry.

Kadhim, who was shot three times, and still has a bullet lodged in his head and neck, said the shooting at his school marked a profound shift in his political awareness.

He remembers waking up in hospital the day after the shooting, after having spent 20 hours in a coma, to learnthat his friend, Anastasia De Sousa, had been killed, and several others shot.

Shocked by gun control debate

From his hospital bed, Kadhim followed the debate about gun control that raged in the days and weeks after the shooting, and couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What really hit me a few days after I woke up was that [reporters] asked the prime minister: 'What do you feel about abolishing the gun registry?' And the only answer he gave is: 'It's not a good time to talk about it.'" Kadhim recounted.

The lanky student decided to speak out, and during an interview with the media, challenged Harper to a debate about gun control.

"If God didn't take my life that day, it's for a reason. I've got to get to the prime minister. I've got to tell him that not only me but so many students disagree with what he wants to do."

With his new mission, voiced to Dawson's student council Thursday night, Kadhim hopes to harness the anger he says is very much alive among the shooting's many victims.

Willing to wage aggressive campaign

"What doesn't make sense is: what was such a psycho doing with a licence to own a semi-automatic? That's what doesn't make sense to me," Kadhim said Thursday night.

The country needs tighter gun control laws, especially because the weapons used by Kimveer Gill in the shooting were registered, Kadhim said.

He'swilling to wage an aggressive campaign to get his point across to lawmakers, he promised.

"If I don't see any improvement regarding this issue, I will do everything possible from debates, demonstrations, to protests, to be able to show our prime minister how many Canadians don't agree with his ideas."

Students in attendance voted unanimouslyto support Kadhim's campaign to save the gun registry.

Kadhim has started his mission by writing a letter to Harper about his beliefs, and requesting a meeting to debate the prime minister.