“Back to School Essentials,” is a haunting and powerful follow up for a sadly increasingly necessary cause. The PSA starts off as a familiar back-to-school ad but slowly unfolds to highlight students using everyday back-to-school items to survive an outbreak of gun violence, shedding light on the gruesome reality that youngsters face in the reality of classroom and campus shootings.

Open on a young student taking some books out of his locker.

STUDENT: This year, my Mom got me the perfect bag for back-to-school.

Cut to a girl in class as she places her new colorful school binders onto her desk.

STUDENT: These colorful binders help me stay organized.

After she does this, we notice the teacher in the background pulling the blinds on the door window.

We cut to a boy in the school library with a water bottle on the desk. A kid runs past and bumps the desk, knocking the bottle over.

STUDENT: This insulated bottle keeps my water cold all day.

Cut to a boy in his new white sneakers, running down the school corridor to escape, followed by others.

STUDENT: These new kicks are perfect for the new year.

Cut to a teen girl in the school gym. She’s threading her jacket through the handles on the doors, to barricade her class inside.

STUDENT: And this jacket is exactly what I needed.

Cut to a teenage girl hiding under a large jacket in a closet.

STUDENT: I got the same one in green.

Cut to a boy standing in class next to a window that doesn’t open. He holds up his new skateboard.

STUDENT: My parents got me the skateboard I wanted. Pretty cool.

He then smashes the window with it and helps his classmates start to climb out.

We cut to a teenage girl in art class standing poised by the side of a door. She holds pair of sharp scissors, ready to defend herself.

STUDENT: These scissors are really coming in handy in art class.

We pan to the other side of the door and see another boy holding a sharp colored pencil

STUDENT: These color pencils too.

Cut to a teen girl using a knee sock to bandage another girl’s leg.

STUDENT: These new athletic socks are a real lifesaver this year.

Finally, we cut to a young girl hiding in a school bathroom stall, whispering to camera.

STUDENT: And I finally got my own phone - to keep in touch with my mom and dad.

We see her texting ‘I love you mom and dad’. We hear the bathroom door open and footsteps enter.

SUPER: CTA

SUPER: CTA

End on SANDY HOOK logo with sandyhookpromise.org