Nancy Blackwell

Biography

Nancy Blackwell is an American activist and the mother of Dominic Blackwell, a 14-year-old student who was killed in the 2019 Saugus High School shooting. Since the tragedy, she has become a public voice for the "Saugus Strong" community, advocating for mental health resources and school security reforms while raising her three surviving sons. In 2026, Blackwell is a featured subject in the critically acclaimed documentary short "All the Empty Rooms", which has been nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. Directed by Joshua Seftel and produced by Steve Hartman, the film captures the emotional reality of her daily life: maintaining Dominic’s bedroom exactly as he left it. In one of the film's most poignant moments, she explains that she refuses to wash the laundry basket of clothes he left behind because "it still smells distinctly like him." Alongside her husband Frank Blackwell, Nancy has been at the forefront of a years-long legal battle to hold institutions accountable for the safety of students. In December 2024, the Blackwells (along with the Muehlberger family) reached a landmark $10 million settlement with the Hart Union High School District, concluding a lawsuit that argued the district failed to act on warning signs and lacked adequate security personnel on the day of the shooting. She helps lead the Dominic Michael Blackwell Foundation, which organizes community events and dedicates resources to remembering the victims of gun violence, ensuring her son is remembered as the "loudest, craziest, and most loving" member of their family.