SAN DIEGO – A local high school student decided to take on the issue of gun violence at schools by producing a public service announcement for television.

Timothy Fraher examined the growing issue of school shootings through the lens of his camera. The Point Loma High School student said he hopes he can do something to bring about change.

“As I started to edit it more, I really got into it and thought, wow, I can really tell a story here and get a message across,” Fraher said.

Fraher said he began working on his video when the school district teamed up with local law enforcement to put on a contest. The rules asked that students create a 45-second public service announcement addressing issues of importance in local schools.

“Bullying, underage drinking, drug use,” were some of the issues that students focused on, Fraher said, “or in my case, school shootings.”

Fraher said he was motivated by a series of recent violent events and the desire to catalyze a change. He said the shooting at a STEM school in Colorado on Tuesday shows that the issue is very relevant. Both of the shooters in Colorado were students at the school.

“It is too easy (to get a gun),” Fraher said “There needs to be more background checks — a process before you can just buy a gun.”

Fraher said it’s easier for high school students to get their hands on a gun than to get a driver’s license. In his commercial, which was selected as the district-wide contest winner, he shows a student who struggles to get his driver’s license.

“In most states, it’s really difficult to get a driver’s license,” the student said. “It took me from start to finish, a year.”

Using data that he said he pulled directly from the Department of Homeland Security’s web page, Fraher showed that one in three students can get their hands on a gun. He wants to see it become much harder. However, he admitted the problem doesn’t just start and stop with guns. He acknowledged the role mental health plays as well.

“If you see something, you need to say something. Tell a teacher, tell a parent,” Fraher said.

Fraher said his public service announcement will air this summer in San Diego. You can watch the full commercial here: