Teens against gun violence organize protest outside White House

In the wake of a shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people and wounded at least a dozen others, a group called Teens for Gun Reform organized a “lie-in” at the White House to advocate for gun law reform.

The teens reportedly laid down outside the White House for three minutes, representing the amount of time it took for 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz to buy the AR-15 he allegedly used in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The group wants to indicate just how quickly a person can procure a gun.

In addition to the teens laying on the ground in front of the White House, others joined in with protest signs. Messages like “More guns, more murder,” “Vote NRA stooges out” and “We call B.S.” show that even teens are fed up with politicians’ thoughts and prayers.

A gunman killed 17 people and wounded at least a dozen more on Wednesday. Cruz, the alleged shooter, was previously a student of the Parkland, Florida, high school, according to local Sheriff Scott Israel. Cruz had been “expelled for disciplinary reasons.” According to the Miami Herald, some students deemed him a potential threat earlier on.

It isn’t just the teenagers of D.C. calling for better gun control. Governors like John Kasich are pleading for more sensible gun laws as well. Gun control is often the source of fierce debate, but it’s been an especially contentious issue in the past few months, following shootings in Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Texas, and other locations.

In response to the tragedy, President Donald Trump shared his thoughts on Twitter. While briefly mentioning the incident, Trump took the opportunity to criticize the FBI and refocus attention on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and the Trump campaign’s potential involvement in those efforts.

The White House issued a more formal statement regarding gun control Monday, saying Trump is “supportive of efforts to improve the federal background check system.”

At time of writing, Trump had yet to address the teen protest. Mic will update this post with his response if necessary.

Correction: Feb. 23, 2018