Marches for stricter gun laws happened all across Michigan and the U.S. Saturday.
About 2,000 people walked from the Hall of Justice to the State Capitol, carrying signs and chanting.
Their message was simple “Our kids aren’t safe, and that needs to change.”
“How free are we if we’re too afraid to go to the mall, to go to the movie theater, to go to school? How are we free if we’re too scared to live?” 14-year-old Cydney Jenkins said. She's the North Farmington High School student who organized the event.
In February, 17 people died in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Since then there’s been an increase in threats reported at schools across Michigan. Police say they’re taking every threat seriously.
Kayden Moore is a 6th grader in Jackson. He loves math and science. And he’s had to do active shooter drills at his school.
“It’s kind of scary ‘cause sometimes you don’t know if it’s happening or not,” says Moore, “Sometimes they tell you if it’s a practice, but sometimes they don’t.”
Marissa Thaler is an elementary school art teacher in Waverly, Michigan. She was at the march with her two young kids. She says the frequency of school shootings has been “awful.”
“The other day a door got slammed, and my first thought was a gunshot. And then my second thought was, I can’t believe my first thought was gunshot,” says Thaler.
The students and advocates marched for gun control laws. They want things like a ban on assault-style rifles and extensive background checks before someone can buy a firearm.
