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

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. https://twitter.com/MaxCumming/status/987358487763177472 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. https://twitter.com/Emma4Change/status/987332843536871424 https://twitter.com/Trollsgotohatem/status/987383834353197057 Here's a snapshot of the 4/20 #NationalStudentWalkout -- based entirely on the reports of students themselves.

Great Mills remembers

[caption id="attachment_31711" align="alignnone" width="1024"]great mills Great Mills students remembered the classmate they lost to gun violence one month ago. (Photo by Mollie Davis)[/caption] 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. https://twitter.com/SenatorCardin/status/987068543945576450 Davis spoke at today's event as well. https://twitter.com/davism0llie/status/987377155561619456 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. https://twitter.com/tayinman24/status/987351795717558274 https://twitter.com/maleninnial/status/987348923437277184

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. https://twitter.com/mariana_h30/status/987332251758276608 https://twitter.com/starskia/status/987339148141973504 https://twitter.com/ssyl_a/status/987339067821101056 https://twitter.com/fhsS4C/status/987350207284334592 https://twitter.com/ONWWalkout/status/987351815762169857 https://twitter.com/marykateclegg/status/987352901810098176 https://twitter.com/curlsintheskyy/status/987355654410162178 https://twitter.com/sparklyrach/status/987372519937200157 https://twitter.com/maysenmoon_/status/987369164829614080 https://twitter.com/abbacadabraaaa/status/987373027032780801 https://twitter.com/___alondraaa12/status/987375823610109953 https://twitter.com/_vricardo/status/987372532255920128
https://twitter.com/jmilner1012/status/987406600141881344 https://twitter.com/lanis_81/status/987491860791812096

Some students walked out alone

Or nearly alone. https://twitter.com/WFHSWalkout/status/987334178483195904 https://twitter.com/TheTinyDiplomat/status/987334885886119937 https://twitter.com/Niallsdaises/status/987343550550560770 https://twitter.com/missteenlesbian/status/987329601813843968 https://twitter.com/maxhateslife/status/987334084287455232 https://twitter.com/TicoDolan/status/987332401289486336 https://twitter.com/youthradio/status/987342049589460992 https://twitter.com/simerjitk119/status/987381310174965763 https://twitter.com/cap_afghanistan/status/987387876894806016 Though Justin Blackman, who went viral last month for walking out alone, had a crowd join him this time. https://twitter.com/youthradio/status/987347974702485504 https://twitter.com/behotajota/status/987356103985041408

While many faced consequences at school

Many risked getting in trouble -- or chose to just participate in spirit. https://twitter.com/youthradio/status/987351451017121793 https://twitter.com/RealJarHead11/status/987333593163882497 https://twitter.com/itskindyl/status/987339274591850496 https://twitter.com/Lonely_Baker/status/987342582928855044 https://twitter.com/artbIues/status/987348527553699840 https://twitter.com/paigexxmendes/status/987352681466474496 https://twitter.com/The_JCrochet/status/987354283145334784

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. https://twitter.com/mere_graham/status/987353344028168192 This was the focus of a group of marchers in Philadelphia, among others. https://twitter.com/zill_elcin/status/987349462115811328

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. https://twitter.com/Columbine_Lax/status/987381489531633664 https://twitter.com/Katleated18/status/987401487499255808 https://twitter.com/davidhogg111/status/987323343828332545 Some helped people register to vote. https://twitter.com/WyattStensrud/status/987376224165965824 https://twitter.com/emilykilbourne/status/987353448030097408 https://twitter.com/ialexfiscal/status/987413585239437312

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. https://twitter.com/youthradio/status/987321256147070976 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. https://twitter.com/youthradio/status/987366430818603008 https://twitter.com/bclouser23/status/987381626383593473

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. https://twitter.com/RedTRaccoon/status/987323205844074496 Fortunately, no one was killed. But still. https://twitter.com/GabeGlassman/status/987360766813769729
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