Students at Walnut Hills High School and Highlands High School in Fort Thomas staged walkouts during the school day Friday in response to the recent shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Last week, during a Mass service to mark the first week of school, a 23-year-old shooter opened fire through the windows of the Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 18 more people. Minneapolis Police say the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
Outside Walnut Hills, dozens of students left the school building to participate in the demonstration, holding signs, chanting, and giving speeches calling on local and federal lawmakers to push for stricter gun laws.
Student organizer and Walnut Hills junior Migdalia Lopez says school safety is a top concern for her and many of her peers. Addressing lawmakers, Lopez says the safety of children shouldn't be viewed as a partisan issue, and she wants elected officials to finally listen to the concerns students have been shouting about for years and take action.
"I'm here, and my other organizers are here to show you that we are fighting. We just need you to pick up the other end of the rope and pull it, just a little bit. We just need a little bit more help from you," she said.
The two walkouts at Walnut Hills and Highlands high schools were among many walkouts held simultaneously across the country, organized by Students Demand Action, a network of youth activists advocating for stricter gun safety laws nationwide.
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