11 | What the Wasp Left Behind: Delaney Tarr’s Story

When Delaney Tarr survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, her life split in two. One part became instantly visible: the fiery, articulate youth activist who co-founded March for Our Lives and stood on national stages demanding change. The other part—quieter, more complicated—was still inside the girl who had to hide in a closet and text her parents goodbye while her classmates were being murdered.

In this raw and fiercely poetic episode of Alive Again, Delaney recounts her experience in two acts: a spellbinding live performance at Write Club Atlanta, followed by an intimate studio conversation. With striking metaphors—like the lifecycle of a fig or the stench of rotting flowers—Delaney reflects on trauma, identity, media scrutiny, and the strange burden of becoming a symbol before she had time to grieve.

And just weeks after recording this, Delaney’s younger sister survived a school shooting of her own, echoing the tragedy that upended Delaney’s life nearly seven years earlier. The cycle continues. But so does Delaney.

This is not just a story about surviving a mass shooting—it's about the rot that remains, the uncomfortable beauty in grief, and what it means to carry a cause through years of transformation.

Story producer: Nicholas Tecosky

Learn More:
Delaney is a freelance writer, reporter, and photographer based in Atlanta, GA. You can explore her work and advocacy at delaneytarr.wordpress.com

You can follow Delaney on Instagram and X: @delaneytarr

To find out more about March for Our Lives and to support the movement: marchforourlives.com

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.