photos via Oteil Burbridge on Facebook

It’s been nearly two weeks since the tragic shooting in Parkland, FL, that claimed the lives of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, but the national discussion about guns and school safety is still just heating up, and the members of Dead & Company have added their voices to that critical conversation, none more so than bassist Oteil Burbridge. 

On Monday night, Dead & Co. delivered a Miami show that was dedicated to the victims and survivors of the shooting, after meeting with survivors of the incident, some of whom have been extremely vocal and visible on the national stage since the event. Even before that, Burbridge—who lives in South Florida—had been active on social media, beginning with an Instagram post featuring pictures of his son Nigel along with shots of protests, a flyer for the upcoming March For Our Lives and a caption that read, “If you think I’m gonna stay quiet while our kids get killed in their classrooms then you are gravely mistaken. The students are making their will known. As a parent, it is my job to listen intently and assist.”

Yesterday, Burbridge also posted a photo of himself symbolically flexing while wearing the “MSD Strong” t-shirt (see above) that his Dead & Co. bandmates Bob Weir and Mickey Hart would don on stage at Miami’s BB&T Center (Burbridge himself wore a March For Our Lives shirt). Later, the bassist shared pictures of himself, his wife Jess and his bandmates meeting with the Parkland shooting survivors, including Cameron Kasky, who has become one of the faces of the growing students-for-national-gun-safety movement. Burbridge’s touching caption read:

What an incredibly special night with some of the bravest young people I have ever met. These young heroes wear T-shirts, not capes. Thank you to all the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It was so amazing to see you smiling and dancing. Your courage is inspiring.

Below, watch a video of Dead & Company at their MSD-dedicated show last night and see some photos from Burbridge of their meeting with survivors of the shooting. Learn more about March 24’s March For Our Lives here.