‘You are the adults, please do something’: Spokane community rallies for more gun laws following Uvalde shooting
SPOKANE, Wash. – Demonstrators rallied on Saturday, demanding more gun laws across the nation in response to the Uvalde shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers.
“We’re here to stop the silence, end gun violence,” a group chanted under the Pavilion.
A group of students and other communities put together the rally, wanting more changes to gun laws. Students and parents told 4 News now they’re tired of seeing people be killed by guns. They want lawmakers to do more.
“It should not be the responsibility of 14 to 18-year-olds to make these changes. You are the adults, please do something,” said Gabriel Kelly, a senior at Lewis and Clark High School.
Mom Laura Laumatia drove from North Idaho to be part of the rally. She said she’s tired of inaction from lawmakers.
“Tired of having to be nervous around our fellow Americans because we don’t know when anger and impulsivity are going to lead to death,” Laumatia said.
Demonstrators at the rally understood that Washington has more laws on guns compared to Idaho and other states, however, they still feel like it’s not enough. They’re demanding for stricter, nationwide background checks and wanting more states to have red flag laws.
“I have eight days to graduate. That is not a guarantee. My brother’s going into high school and I’m terrified for him. There’s no guarantee for his safety,” Kelly said. “No one can say 100 percent, to me, that no one’s going to walk in with a gun into his high school and shoot him.”
“It seems like there are many reasonable solutions that don’t infringe on hunting rights and the rights to defend ourselves that could still help reduce gun violence,” Laumatia added. “We want to see our elected leaders start to hear us and do something about it.”
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