NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hundreds of young people and supporters marched from Legislative Plaza to inside the Tennessee capitol wanting to end gun violence.
Many of them skipped school to take part in this rally. They lifted signs and their voices in reaction to the six people who were killed this week including three children in the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. Students said they wanted to know how many more it will take before lawmakers do something to stop it.
They marched to the state capitol and went through security to ask state leaders this question firsthand. For more than four hours, young people and their supporters packed the rotunda in front of the chamber doors, wanting lawmakers to hear their pleas.
They saud they won't remain silent any longer.
"Protect our kids. I’m just as scared about going to school every day. I fear going to school. That is not right. Protect us," said one student at the rally.
Laura Kelly came to the capitol early this morning with her children.
"We need to have our voices heard. We need to stand up. We need to tell them how we feel how these kids feel. The fact that these babies are going to school."
Kelly's son Amon is just 11 years old. Kelly says kids are scared to go to school.
"It was scary because my school was 10 minutes away from that school. So, I just came here to support and help."
On Monday, March 27, six people were shot and killed by a gunman at The Covenant School.
Police received the 911 call for the shooting at 10:13 a.m. Within 14 minutes, Metro Police were able to take down the shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Hale.
Hale gained access to the building through a side door that they shot through. From there, the shooter went upstairs and shot at police through the windows.
Two members of an officer team fired on Hale. Those two officers are officer Rex Englebert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.
Who died in the shooting?
- Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9
- Hallie Scruggs, 9
- William Kinney, 9
- Cynthia Peak, 61
- Katherine Koonce, 60
- Mike Hill, age 61
The shooter was a 28-year-old Nashvillian who lived in the Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood.
