Students At Town Hall Demand Tougher Action On Guns: Reports

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A town hall meeting on Wednesday evening on gun violence and school safety brought together about 800 parents and students at T.C. Williams High School, according to media reports. Many called for stricter gun control measures in the wake of the mass shooting last month at a high school in Parkland, Fla.

The audience heard from two congressmen and Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was one of 17 victims killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The grieving father recalled his daughter and called on lawmakers to resist the National Rifle Association and enact tougher gun control measures, such as requiring the licensing of gun owners, the Washington Post reported.

Other speakers included Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who hosted the meeting, and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., who represents the Parkland area.

Both congressmen called for a ban on the sale of assault rifles to civilians, as well as expanded background checks on gun purchases and making schools safer, WRC-TV Channel 4 reported. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Many students from Alexandria schools also spoke out at the packed meeting for stricter gun control, the Post reported, calling for measures like universal background checks, higher age limits for those who seek to purchase weapons and mental health screenings. Students from Alexandria and around the country are expected to participate in the March for Our Lives, the student-organized march for gun control planned for Saturday, March 24, in Washington, D.C.

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