Students around Raleigh, as well as other cities across the country, walked out of school in protest on Thursday (May 26) following the tragic mass shooting at a Texas elementary school earlier this week.
Students of Leesville Road High School left their classrooms on Thursday and gathered at the school's football field in honor of the 19 children and two teachers killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday (May 24). The protest was just one local event of several nationwide walkouts that have been organized by Students Demand Action protesting gun violence, per WRAL.
"Everyone's hearts are with the victims," said freshman Bailey Thomas. "Everyone cares and everyone wants to group together to show our love."
During the walkout, students read aloud the names of all 21 victims of the shooting and held a 21-minute moment of silence. They also spoke out against gun violence and urged each other to push lawmakers for a change in gun laws and school safety, the news outlet reports.
"It's very dangerous, one day, you come to school you don't know if you are going to live or not, so we want to show our support," said freshman Maymouna Tall.
The community of Uvalde is still in mourning after nearly two dozen people, most of whom were children, were killed at school. The mass shooting has since sparked protests at schools around the country and led to many celebrities speaking out against gun violence.