Dozens gathered in South Florida to advocate for gun control at a rally and vigil on Saturday in light of the recent massacres in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas.
The event in Sunrise comes days after the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas.
Local and state leaders joined the public to show their support and talk about what they think should be done to prevent future school shootings.
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“It’s good to mourn, it's good to cry, right now it’s more important to act,” said Florida’s District 13 Representative Charlie Crist. “We have to ban assault weapons. We have to make sure background checks actually check backgrounds."
One activist told NBC 6 that there was grief and anger after the Parkland shooting that happened in 2018, and they hope the latest mass shootings will propel action.
“I think people are tired, I think people are sick of lip service, people are looking for action now.”
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Manuel Oliver, a father who lost his son Joaquin in the Parkland shooting says he is starting a campaign advocating for parents to keep their kids home until stricter gun legislation is passed.
He says the program advocates for kids to stay home until laws are passed that keep them "protected wherever they go” — especially at school.
“We will demand for that," said Oliver. "And trust me, that pressure that includes money, includes jobs, and crisis, will receive an answer.”
Florida State Senator Lauren Book says the state has taken steps to prevent gun violence.
“Look, in the state of Florida, an 18-year-old cannot buy a weapon," said Book. "We changed that age, we raised that age."
She also said the state has worked on and passed "red flag laws" to help keep the community safe.
Red flag laws allow courts to temporarily seize weapons from anyone deemed dangerous. In Florida, the laws have been applied more than 3,000 times since the Parkland shooting.
Florida legislators at the rally say that although Florida has taken some steps, they are hoping the same thing can happen at a national level so that something like this never happens again.
