Talahassee, Fla. (WFLA) – Florida State University became a crime scene a week ago. Since then, FSU students, advocates, and community members have held several meetings to call on state leaders, demanding that they take action before the current session ends.
Overcoming the frightening moment of the shooting, Florida students marched to the Capitol to appeal to state lawmakers.
Two men were killed in the shootings Thursday, and six men were injured just a mile away from their state home.
“A 20-year-old with a gun was destroying my school, so I looked from inside the building where lawmakers were discussing a bill to lower age to get guns back to 18,” student Demantha Mason said.
That bill, House Bill 759, was handed over from the House floor a month before the Florida shooting. However, it appears that Senate fellow bill SB 920, sponsored by Hillsboro County Councilman Jay Collins, has been suspended.
“Look at our faces, listen to us, we know we’re not going anywhere. You have the power to help us. We don’t want miracles. We demand common sense gun safety laws that save lives.”
Horowitz was a freshman for Marjorie Stoneman Douglas when the 19-year-old killed 17 people and injured 17 people.
“Four of my friends passed away that day and I have been visiting their graves for the past seven years,” Horowitz said.
Horowitz taught classes at FSU last week. Now she’s pleading lawmakers to prioritize students over guns.
Within the state capitol on Wednesday, Senate members gathered for a session, with no talks on gun laws, but there was a moment of silence for lost lives and those affected.
“Last Thursday, my FSU family was shaken by reckless violence on campus, with six students shot and two adults killed,” said Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee). “Today, I stand up and seek a moment of silence in my Seminoles, who lament the lost people and many life that have changed forever.”
House Democrats have called on Republican colleagues, saying that Republican majority can always abandon the rules and hear the bill at this point.
Senate Speaker Ben Albritton, House Speaker Daniel Perez and Gov. Ron DeSantis did not publicly address FSU students’ concerns about gun violence on Wednesday.
