Florida shooting survivors protest in state capitol for gun control as lawmakers turn down assault rifle ban.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — About 50 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School met with lawmakers Tuesday, telling their stories of last week’s shooting that left 17 dead and urging them to pass gun control measures.
They’re hoping their harrowing stories of the shooting will spur lawmakers to action on bills to ban assault weapons sales, allow law enforcement under court order to confiscate guns of those with mental illnesses or set up a registration of assault weapon owners.
“They have to realize that it shouldn’t have to take such a big tragedy and me losing my close friend, my teacher and all these innocent kids losing their lives protecting each other — it shouldn’t take that to make a change,” said Melissa Camilo, 15, a freshman at the school. “I think that they have to do something about it.”
Sheryl Acquaroli, 17, a junior at Douglas High, was on the other side of the campus when the shooting took place and was able to get to safety. But she recognized a friend in one of the videos of the shooting.
“We were close, we had first period together that morning, and I had saw her just that morning,” Acquaroli said. “I woke up the next morning, found out that my friend Helena Ramsey had been shot and killed. She died protecting other students.”
A move to push a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines directly to the Florida House floor Tuesday afternoon was rejected on mostly party lines
Rep. Kionne McGhee, of Miami, the incoming House Democratic leader, called for the bill that had not received a committee hearing to be immediately considered by the full chamber at the start of Tuesday's House session. He invoked the shooting in Parkland, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz used a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle he had purchased legally in Wednesday's attack.
HB 219, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, of Orlando, prohibits the sale, transfer or possession of large-capacity magazines and assault weapons, including AR-15s.
McGhee's motion was rejected 71-36. It would have required a two-thirds vote to move directly to the House floor.
But the new student activists say they’re not going away any time soon.
“I don’t think they understand that we aren’t just going to give up when we get tired, because we are not going to get tired,” Acquaroli said. “We are young, they are old; we are the next generation. When they leave office we will be there to take their places. And we are going to do something if they don’t do anything. So no matter what, change is going to happen and we are going to be sure of it.”