Parkland student survivors demand end to gun violence
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students are demanding action to stop the bloodshed.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas students who lived through last week’s deadly shooting at their Florida school called for more discussion on gun control and announced on Sunday a march planned for next month.
Cameron Kasky, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin spoke to “Fox News Sunday” about the need for more discussion on gun control after 17 people were killed in Wednesday’s deadly shooting.
“Please stop allowing us to be gunned down in our hallways,” Gonzalez, a high school senior, told "Fox News Sunday." “People are telling us that we should run for president, but we want an education.”
Parkland, Florida shooting survivors demand gun laws change
Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School used the media to speak out against gun violence after a killer murdered 17 people at their school.
Kasky, a junior, said nationwide demonstrations called the “March For Our Lives” have been planned for March 24 to bring more awareness to gun control.
“One of the things we’ve been hearing is it’s not the time yet to talk about gun control. And we respect that. We’ve lost 17 lives, and our community took 17 bullets to the heart, and it’s difficult to come back from that. So here’s the time were going to talk about gun control,” Kasky said.
Organizers urged people to join them in Washington, D.C., or march in their own city in an effort to end gun violence.
“The ‘March For Our Lives’ is going to be in every major city and we are organizing it so students everywhere can beg for our lives. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about the red and blue, the GOP and the Democrats, this is about adults and kids,” he added.
Kasky said politicians who accept money from the National Rifle Association in the next election have a “badge of shame” on them. He added that lawmakers are “either with us or against us.”
David Hogg added, “Our elected officials need to get together, overcome their political differences and get some things done because they need to save the future of our country and the future of our country are those children that are currently dying because politicians refuse to take action and continue to take money from these special-interest groups.”
The announcement of the march comes a day after students and politicians held rallies in Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg on Saturday to demand action on gun-control legislation.
The crowd at the rally chanted: "Vote them out!" referring to lawmakers who accept money from the NRA. Others held signs calling for action. Some read: "#Never Again," ''#Do something now" and "Don't Let My Friends Die."
Nikolas Cruz allegedly walked into the Parkland high school on Wednesday with an AR-15 rifle and opened fire on students and faculty members, sending people fleeing from the school while others barricaded themselves in classrooms.
He later confessed to the shooting, according to court documents.
Cruz was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and was ordered held without bond. The 19-year-old could plead guilty to the charges in exchange for prosecutors refusing to seek the death penalty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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