In Jefferson's time, the kids would have been armed too, so no, it's not about killing kids. Different eras had different cultural norms. For instance, during the 1800s, there's a story out of the Midwest about how it was kids who drew their own weapons that stopped assailants from killing their schoolteacher at a frontier school. IIRC, this is used by some as one of the first documented school shootings in the US.
Activism and sacrifice are what I would go for, up to and including armed resistance. Peaceful first, until you can no longer be peaceful. The last time that happened in the USA was in August 1946 with the Battle of Athens, TN. WWII vets took on corrupt police and the political machine that was running the city and county, and they won.
I'm by far a non-violent person, and while I have my own views on gun ownership, kids being killed is never acceptable to me.