FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - More than 50 students from South Florida headed to Washington, D.C. to speak with lawmakers about gun violence in their community.
Early Tuesday morning, a group of students with the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project boarded buses that took them to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Dr. Marcus Bright, who is also involved in the 5000 Role Models program, said this is an important trip for these students.
“To participate in a congressional hearing about gun violence and to provide solutions to an epidemic that’s affecting us all,” said Bright.
The students flew out to the nation’s capital to address lawmakers. They will share their firsthand experience with gun violence.
“To open a dialogue with everybody else and get behind a movement that’s already in motion,” said 5000 Role Models student Ricky Pope.
“There’s a lot of work, and we do a lot of stuff to try and like prepare ourselves for this,” said Christopher Rochelle, “so hopefully they’ll take some of the things we say into consideration.”
The visit takes place four days after, police said, a 17-year-old student opened fire at Santa Fe High School, killing eight students and two teachers.
Speaking with reporters after the mass shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the Lone Star State needs to do more to keep its students safe.
“Better security at our schools, better control of ingress and egress from schools and perhaps metal detectors,” said Abbott.
The Republican governor is hosting three days of roundtable sessions this week about gun legislation and safety and security in schools.
Parents, students, teachers and others are all invited to take part in the discussion. That includes people on both sides of the gun issue.
“It’s essential that we hear from the experts before any hard and fast conclusions are arrived at,” said Abbott, “so we can have all the information placed upon the table and find the right solutions.”
Some of the victims’ families have spoken out in the wake of the massacre, and they said something must be done.
“Where do I start? My mom would have been 64 next week,” said Cathleen McComber, the daughter of one of the teachers killed Friday. “She married my father at 17 years of age, and they have been married for 46 years.”
Rhonda Hart, the mother of shooting victim Kimberly Vaughan, also weighed in. “I really would like to see some positive changes happening for my daughter. I really would,” she said.
The 5000 Role Models students, thankful for the opportunity, just want to call for change.
“To expand the narrative that not only things happened in Parkland and is very sad and what happens in those type of situations, these school shootings, but to expand the narrative that it happens to us basically every day in our community and just to open the dialogue where everybody else can get behind the movement that’s already in motion,” said Ricky Pope.
The students are set to speak with U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday.
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