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On Columbine Anniversary, Students Call To End Gun Violence — Again

By Youth Radio
04.20.18
On Columbine Anniversary, Students Call To End Gun Violence — Again (Students at Great Mills HS gathering to remember their slain classmate on the day of the walkout. (Photo by Mollie Davis))

Lane Murdock, a student at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, and some of her peers organized another anti-gun violence student walkout for April 20, 2018, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine massacre.

Much as they did last month on March 14, students across the country marked the day by walking out of class, holding moments of silence, giving speeches, holding rallies, honoring the dead, marching to their capitols, and more.

Here’s a snapshot of the 4/20 #NationalStudentWalkout — based entirely on the reports of students themselves.

Great Mills remembers

great mills

Great Mills students remembered the classmate they lost to gun violence one month ago. (Photo by Mollie Davis)

Students at Great Mills High School in southern Maryland didn’t just walk out — they held a remembrance for their classmate Jaelynn Willey, who was shot to death at school exactly one month ago, on March 20.

Yesterday, a few Great Mills students went to Capitol Hill to meet with their U.S. senators and talk about gun violence, including Mollie Davis, whose tweet during the shooting went viral.

Davis spoke at today’s event as well.

Before the walkout, she shared her thoughts with Youth Radio, along with two other student leaders, Zak Lanis of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Isra Hirsi of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Other schools remembered community victims of gun violence as well.

Walkouts — and more — swept the nation

Turnout this time around was expected to be lower than last month, but still, thousands of students nationwide walked out and rallied.

Some students walked out alone

Or nearly alone.

Though Justin Blackman, who went viral last month for walking out alone, had a crowd join him this time.

While many faced consequences at school

Many risked getting in trouble — or chose to just participate in spirit.

Some put the focus on urban gun violence …

… As well as police brutality and other ways people of color are disproportionately affected by gun violence.

This was the focus of a group of marchers in Philadelphia, among others.

And others devoted the day to community service or voter registration

That’s the tradition of Columbine High School for marking this sad anniversary — and many community members carried it out today.

Some helped people register to vote.

Meanwhile, some chose not to walk out

Ruby Noboa is among those who feels that while the #NeverAgain movement is doing good, it isn’t focused on the issues she feels are most important. She walked out last month, but she chose not to today.

And students like Alexis Buxton stayed in school because they are strong supporters of the Second Amendment and while they too want students to be safe in school, they don’t feel included in the #NeverAgain rhetoric they hear.

Did you know there was a school shooting today?

Yes, today. One student at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, was shot and injured this morning.

Fortunately, no one was killed. But still.

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