Hundreds of students at Aztec High School still reeling from a deadly shooting in December gathered Wednesday to remember the 21 students who have died in school shootings across the U.S. in recent months, including two of their own.
Student leaders at the high school had asked administrators for time to “walk up” rather than walk out. Many students wore the school colors and one held a sign that read “Time for Change.”
Jesse Smith was among the crowd. The 17-year-old senior said the event was not about protesting for gun safety but rather for honoring the students who have died and setting the stage for what he called a positive movement.
Part of that movement at Aztec includes 21 pledges that range from taking the time to make new friends and including students who are alone to talking with family and writing to congressional representatives.
Thousands of students in Albuquerque also walked out of schools.
Around 300 students at La Cueva High School in an affluent neighborhood participated. Students there held a 17-second moment of silence for the victims of last month’s massacre at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Junior Ruth Clark says it was important for students join the conversation about school violence and push policies to make school safe. The 16-year-old Clark told classmates the adults have a responsibility to keep school safe and pass measures to regulate some weapons.
