Walk out part protest, part memorial
Dozens of Columbia Falls High School students joined students around the nation in a walkout Wednesday morning to memorialize students killed and injured in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida February 14. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Columbia Falls student Braxton Shewalter led a group of students during Wendesday’s walkout that memorialized those lost in the Florida shooting, but also supported gun rights. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Each victim of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting was memorialized in front of Columbia Falls High School Wednesday. The name and age of each person that was killed in the shooting was read, each followed by a minute of silence. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Columbia Falls senior Kathleen Foley-Helton reads off the names and ages of those killed in February’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida. The reading of each name was followed by a minute of silence. (Jeremy Weber photo)
More than 50 Columbia Falls students joined Wednesday’s walkout as part of a group that said it mourned the loss of life in Florida, but suppored gun rights. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Dozens of Columbia Falls High School students joined students around the nation in a walkout Wednesday morning to memorialize students killed and injured in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida February 14. (Jeremy Weber photo)
More than 100 Columbia Falls High School students took to the school’s driveway at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning to protest gun violence and the loss of life at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida last month.
One large group was led by senior Kathleen Foley-Helton, who read the names and ages of the 17 students and faculty killed in the shooting, following each name with a minute of silence.
“One month ago, 17 students and faculty walked into that school and never walked out. We are here to honor their memory,” Foley-Helton said.
On Valentine’s Day, Nikolas Jacob Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and opened fire with a semi-automatic rife, killing 17 and wounding another 17.
On the other side of the school’s driveway, another large group of more than 50 students, led by senior Braxton Shewalter, gathered to also memorialize the victims of the shooting and also advocate for gun ownership rights.
“We realize that the walkout to memorize the victims is also a promotion of gun control. We wanted to hold a pro-gun counter protest to make sure our opinions are heard as well. Our intention is to honor the victims, but we take a different stance when it come to gun control,” Shewalter told the Hungry Horse News.
All students involved in the walkout were excused and not counted absent or tardy in their scheduled classes.
The walkout was part of a nation-wide movement that saw walkouts at schools around the country.