DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A rally was held in Delray Beach, Monday night, to honor the victims of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting as students continue to push for stricter gun control laws.
People gathered outside Delray Beach City Hall, where they lit candles and sang tributes.
Passionate speeches were also delivered from the podium.
Students called for tougher gun laws and protection while at school.
“Military-grade weapons are supposed to be used for protecting our country,” said one speaker. “Military-grade weapons should not be used to hurt people in it.”
Students also called for accountability from the FBI, which had been warned about the threat posed by a potential killer but didn’t act on it.
“They have multiple hands that they could have stopped this — 17 innocent lives, precious children,” said a boy who spoke at the rally.
“When is this enough?” asked another speaker. “They say if you see something, say something. This person did both. They saw something, and then they said something, and now we have 17 less lives on this earth.”
Palm Beach County Mayor Melissa McKinlay also spoke at the rally.
“It’s not right. We need to do something about it,” said McKinlay. “We need to put some common sense in these gun laws. We’re not trying to take the rifle out of the hands of the person who wants to go do your hunting, and I’m sick and tired of that rhetoric. We’re trying to take an AR-15 out of the hands of a mentally ill 19-year-old who should not have it in the first place.”
“It’s not enough to rally here,” said another woman who spoke at the rally. “You’ve gotta go back, make it close and personal. Go to your representative, let them know that their constituency is very unhappy!”
Democratic congresswoman Lois Frankel attended the rally as well. She said, “You kiss your child when they leave for school. You never imagine it will be the last kiss you give them alive.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.