Students Organize Against Gun Violence in Indy High Schools

Students in Indianapolis took a stand against gun violence by organizing a National School Walkout at the Indiana Statehouse. Hundreds of students from various high schools, including Shortridge, Herron, and North Central, participated in the event to demand action from lawmakers.

"So my brothers can grow up in a world without worrying about gun violence," Jaidyn, a student at Shortridge High School, explained. "And if they ever choose to have kids, or if I choose to have kids, that they're entering a world where they shouldn't be scared for their life just simply going to school and getting an education."

The students' message was clear: Kids over guns. Many attendees shared stories of personal experiences with gun violence, emphasizing the need for change.

"People are literally dying, it feels like - every day - people are dying from gun violence, which is the truth," Lukas, a student at North Central High School said.

"You can easily get your life and opportunities taken away from you with a single bullet," Jaidyn exclaimed.

The walkout comes just over a week after last week's school shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two children were killed, and 21 other people were injured.

“I, and I know sadly many of my other peers, have had the fear of sitting in a classroom and knowing that something this devastating can happen," Emerson, a student at Herron High School, said.

Attendees are pushing lawmakers to take action on several fronts, including banning assault weapons, restricting access to high-caliber weapons, and requiring background checks on all gun sales.

“We can not allow another mass shooting to occur because when will enough be enough?" Holden Pasley, who organized the event, stated.

They all share one hope: that the violence will stop. “It needs to be a wake-up call to them that we are tired of this and we are done," Emerson stated.

“To me, it’s just a no-brainer that something needs to be done," Lukas emphasized.