SWFL students join nation-wide walkout on Columbine anniversary

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Students stood in front of Rep. Francis Rooney’s office in Punta Gorda to show support of stricter gun laws. WINK News/ Kristi Gross

Southwest Florida students participated in a nation-wide walkout Friday morning on Columbine’s anniversary.

The protests were chosen to line up with the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, which left 13 people dead in Littleton, Colorado.

“That seems like forever ago but that was the beginning of the end of students feeling safe in their schools,” Port Charlotte High School junior Sabrina Salovitz said.

This was the latest round of gun-control activism following the Valentine’s Day shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 students and faculty.

Florida Southwestern State College student Lilana Hubbard said they’re stepping up by walking out.

“I’ve never had anyone close to me be a victim of gun violence, but it’s a very real possibility and I know that I just can’t wait until it’s a reality,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard lead a small group on a three mile march across the Charlotte County campus to the old county courthouse where they were joined by high school students.

Together they chanted in unison, “We are not content to live in fear!”

The students are calling on state and federal lawmakers to pass stricter gun laws. If they don’t, their message for lawmakers is, “We will vote them out. We will not take this inaction.”

The Charlotte County School District said students will face consequences for walking out.

Collier County parents and supporters of gun reform also stood outside of Gulf Coast and Naples High Schools.

“We love them. We support them and we’ll go down with them, or stand tall with them, whichever it is,” Cyndy Nayer said.

Collier County students who walked out of school took an absence in class to participate in the demonstration.
While other students wore orange, the nationally recognized color to promote gun violence awareness, Gulf Coast High School sophomore Lily Heaton opted to wear white to support mental health awareness.
“I told people to wear white for the angels that we lost and a lot of people did,” Heaton said.
WINK News’ Olivia Mancino has more coverage on the walk-outs in the clip below.

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