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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 15 March 2018

'Enough is enough': US students walk out over gun violence

ia, just outside Richmond. applauded students for
"We're going to keep fight- taking a stand — and
ing, and we're not going to some joined them — others
stop until Congress finally threatened punishment for
makes resolute changes." missing class.
Students around the na- As the demonstrations un-
tion left class at 10 a.m. folded, the NRA responded
local time for at least 17 by posting a photo on Twit-
minutes — one minute for ter of a black rifle embla-
each of the dead in the zoned with an American
Florida shooting. Some flag. The caption: "I'll con-
led marches or rallied on trol my own guns, thank
football fields, while others you." The protests took
gathered in school gyms or place at schools from the
took a knee in the hallway. elementary level through
At some schools, hundreds college, including some
of students poured out. that have witnessed their
At others, just one or two own mass shootings: About
walked out in defiance of 300 students gathered on a
administrators. soccer field at Colorado's
They lamented that too Columbine High, while stu-
many young people have dents who survived the San-
died and that they're tired dy Hook Elementary School
Sandy Shieh, center, a student at San Francisco's Lincoln High School holds a sign as she listens of going to school afraid attack in 2012 marched out
to speakers during a rally and march against gun violence at the Civic Center Plaza Wednes-
day, March 14, 2018, in San Francisco, one month after a deadly shooting inside a high school in they will be killed. of Newtown High School in
Parkland, Fla. "Enough is enough. People Connecticut.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) are done with being shot," In the nation's capital, more
said Iris Fosse-Ober, 18, a than 2,000 high-school age
By COLLIN BINKLEY repeated the message: tended from Maine to Ha- senior at Washburn High protesters observed 17 min-
Associated Press Enough is enough. waii as students joined the School in Minneapolis. utes of silence while sitting
They bowed their heads in In a wave of protests one youth-led surge of activism Some issued specific de- on the ground with their
honor of the dead. They historian called the largest set off by the Feb. 14 mas- mands for lawmakers, in- backs turned to the White
carried signs with messages of its kind in American his- sacre at Marjory Stoneman cluding mandatory back- House. President Donald
like "Never again" and "Am tory, tens of thousands of Douglas High School in ground checks for all gun Trump was out of town.
I next?" They railed against students walked out of their Parkland, Florida. sales and a ban on assault The students carried signs
the National Rifle Associa- classrooms Wednesday to "We're sick of it," said Max- weapons like the one used with messages such as "Our
tion and the politicians who demand action on gun vio- well Nardi, a senior at in the Florida bloodbath. Blood/Your Hands" and
support it. lence and school safety. Douglas S. Freeman High While administrators and "Never Again" and chanted
And over and over, they The demonstrations ex- School in Henrico, Virgin- teachers at some schools slogans against the NRA.q

House backs school safety bill in Florida shooting response

By MATTHEW DALY tify signs of potential vio- Ryan said. "This legislation it received prior to the Feb. should have done more,"
KEVIN FREKING lence before they occur. will actually take concrete 14 massacre at Marjory Bowdich told the Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Lawmakers approved the action to prevent that." Stoneman Douglas High Judiciary Committee.
House overwhelmingly ap- bill, 407-10. It now goes to The vote came as the FBI School in Parkland, Florida. The Senate panel was con-
proved a bill to improve the Senate, where a similar announced it is doubling The FBI received at least sidering a similar proposal
school safety Wednesday, measure is being consid- the number of supervisors two credible tips that to improve school safety,
the first gun-related ac- ered. assigned to review tips re- the suspect in the Florida but a hearing Wednesday
tion by Congress since the House Speaker Paul Ryan, ceived from the public school shooting had a "de- focused on law enforce-
shooting that left 17 dead R-Wis., said the bill "provides about possible threats of sire to kill" and access to ment failures in Florida.
at a Florida high school. a multi-layered approach" mass shootings or other guns and could be plot- Besides the FBI lapses, Bro-
The bill authorizes $500 mil- to identify threats so au- violence. Deputy FBI Direc- ting an attack, but agents ward County, Florida Sher-
lion over 10 years for grants thorities can stop violence tor David Bowdich told a failed to investigate. iff Scott Israel has said his
to improve training and before it occurs. Senate committee that the "While we will never know if office received more than
coordination between "Tragic violence has no agency "could have and any such investigative ac- 20 calls about accused
schools and local law en- place in our schools. Every should have done more" tivity would have prevent- gunman Nikolas Cruz in the
forcement and help iden- American believes that,'" to investigate information ed this tragedy, we clearly past few years.q