(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Students across Southern Colorado walked out of class on Wednesday to protest gun violence, joining a statewide movement.
Hundreds of students from schools such as Mesa Ridge High School participated in the walkout, wearing black to show solidarity with victims of gun violence and chanting slogans like “Less guns, less violence.”
“No kids should ever be scared to go and get an education ever. “It’s not okay,” said Serenity Higgins, a student involved in the protest.
“If we don’t speak up, then nobody will,” said Matthew Bordelon, another student.
The walkout comes in the wake of a recent incident at Mesa Ridge High School, where classrooms went into lockdown after two students brought a handgun and an airsoft pistol on campus last Friday. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office reported that the teenagers involved face misdemeanor charges.
Students expressed their fear and frustration over the incident, with some describing it as one of the scariest experiences they have had. “I was breaking down crying because I thought my friends were going to die,” said Aiden Lumberg, a student at Mesa Ridge.
Colorado has experienced 13 school shootings since the Columbine tragedy in 1999, highlighting the ongoing issue of gun violence in schools. According to Everytown Research & Policy, this year alone, 33 people have died in school shootings across the United States, with more than 100 injured.
Other high schools in Colorado Springs, including Widefield, Coronado, and Palmer Ridge, also participated in the walkouts. Students are calling for more measures to deter gun violence and ensure safety in schools.
The walkouts demonstrate the growing concern among students about gun violence in schools and their demand for change. “We are tired of being scared to even go to school because school shootings have been so normalized,” said one student.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by FOX21. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by FOX21 staff before being published.
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