Gun Violence Prevention Grassroots Academy

Robert Schentrup is the brother of Carmen Schentrup, one of the 17 victims of the Parkland school shooting. Ever since, Robert has worked tirelessly on the issue of gun violence prevention, serving on the Team ENOUGH Executive Council and with a myriad of organizations across the gun violence prevention space. In May 2020, Robert graduated from the University of Central Florida. Afterward, he worked at Brady as a Team ENOUGH organizing fellow, helping expand its programming with a focus on democracy reform. Feeling emotionally and physically burnt out from working in politics for years, Robert transitioned to be the director of operations at a wholesale CBD start-up. Always an organizer at heart, Robert decided to come back home and join Brady again, where he currently serves as the organizing manager.

Based in Los Angeles, CA, Stephen Lindley is a senior programs and policy manager at Brady, focusing on the Combating Crime Guns program, state and federal legislation, and regulatory efforts. Stephen comes to Brady with nearly three decades of experience in law enforcement, working for the National City Police Department (San Diego County) and the California Department of Justice. 

During this time, he covered a variety of assignments, including internal affairs, homicide, sexual predator apprehension, and the Attorney General’s Protection Detail. Stephen also oversaw the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms and the Department’s Division of Law Enforcement with its 1,100 agents and professional staff.

As the chief of the Bureau of Firearms for more than eight years, Stephen testified in over 80 firearm-related legislative hearings, collaborated on more than 100 firearm-related bills, and assisted in authoring and implementing California’s landmark Ammunition Background Check Initiative. At Brady, Stephen has testified across the country on firearm and gun violence prevention legislation, including before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.

Stephen has a B.S. in Criminal Justice, an M.A. in Business, and is a high school forensic science teacher.

JP Thomas, Brady's organizing director, has more than a decade of experience working across campaigns, advocacy, and policy. Before returning to Brady, he was the Vice President for Voice of the People and a Director of UMD's Program for Public Consultation, organizations leading democratic innovations to give the American people a meaningful voice in the policymaking process. 

In 2020, JP served as the Voter Protection organizing director for Joe Biden's Presidential Campaign in Wisconsin, managing the campaign's critical voter hotline, and poll observer and poll worker programs. JP finds meaning in developing creative ways to empower advocates and survivors of gun violence to shape the future of their communities, as well as through his meditation practice, dog training, kayaking, and softball team!

With a background in litigation, human capital consulting, and diversity and inclusion, Kelly Sampson brings a variety of experiences to Brady. In particular, she works to reduce gun violence by advocating for evidence-based policies that prevent gun violence without exacerbating existing racial disparities. 

Kelly is a nationally recognized expert on the connection between racial justice and gun violence, who has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Accountability Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. 

Further, Kelly has represented Brady in numerous major news outlets, conferences, and convenings. A keen writer, Kelly has written a variety of pieces on the intersection of gun violence, white supremacy, racism, and extremism, including “The Supreme Court’s Second and Fifteenth Amendment Hypocrisy Could Shoot Down Voting Rights . . . and People,” published by the UCLA Criminal Justice Law Review in 2023. In addition, she authored "Origin of an Insurrection: How Second Amendment Extremism Led to the January 6 Capitol Attack" and co-authored “The Right Not To Be Shot: Public Safety, Private Guns, and the Constellation of Constitutional Liberties.” 

Originally from Detroit, Kelly earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Luna Saldaña López

Luna Saldana (she/her) is an activist from Colorado who has actively lobbied and testified for gun safety legislation at the Colorado capitol and represented Colorado Ceasefire in town halls alongside city leaders. In addition to legislative advocacy, Luna is particularly focused on changing the culture of firearms in America, especially after seeing how representations of firearms and gun violence have influenced her peers. Luna also collaborates with a legal advocacy group, Youth for Innocence, working with attorneys, students, and formerly incarcerated individuals to build strong appeal cases for those who were wrongfully convicted. A senior in high school, she aspires to become a lawyer committed to driving meaningful policy change.

Rhiannon Danborn

Rhiannon Danborn (she/her) is a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the previous co-director of the Colorado chapter of Team ENOUGH. She joined Team ENOUGH in 2022 after organizing Denver’s second March For Our Lives rally. Rhiannon helped establish Brady’s youth Colorado chapter — Team ENOUGH Denver — before taking on the role of director of communications in 2022. As the co-director of Team ENOUGH Denver, Rhiannon got multiple school subchapters off the ground, further mobilizing her peers across Colorado, and prioritized providing safe and secure firearm storage information in Colorado school districts, a critical step in reducing firearm suicide. Rhiannon knows that her generation is uniquely impacted by gun violence but believes that through education and meaningful, intersectional advocacy, they will be the generation that will end this epidemic.

Alex Dillon

Alex Dillon (he/him) is a student at American University studying political science and computer science. He became involved in gun violence prevention through grassroots organizing, policy development, and advocacy — combining research with community action. Alex has worked with legislators across his home state of Virginia and previously served as a chapter lead with March For Our Lives, where he led student advocacy efforts in support of gun safety policies. Currently, he works with Global Action on Gun Violence, supporting disarmament efforts through policy research. Alex believes that community safety requires both evidence-based solutions and strong youth leadership, and he is committed to advancing policies that protect communities.