COLORADO SPRINGS— Hundreds of Southern Colorado students walked out of class Wednesday, in part of a larger movement to protest gun violence.
250 school districts across the nation signed up to participate, according to the lead organization Students Demand Action.
About 100 K-12 students at Banning Lewis Prep Academy joined the movement. They shout 'Kids Not Guns' as they marched around campus.
"I want to be able to go to school and know that's not going to be my last day on earth," said one senior Hayley Crist.
She and others protesters said gun rights advocates only care about their rights and not kids lives.
"I would disagree, the second amendment was put in to protect not only your person, your property, your family," said Rocky Mountain Gun Owners executive director Taylor Rhodes.
Rhodes said until teachers and staff can be armed, school shootings will continue to happen.
"[We] make guns so taboo that now we have the so called 'gun free zones' that are leaving our people defenseless," said Rhodes.
I spoke with one Colorado Springs resident as he looked at guns at Paradise Sales. Patrick Hall said he agreed with Rhodes.
"You have to go to a gun fight with a gun so if you people coming in with guns, you have to guns there to defend back," said Hall.
An advisory board member with Students Demand Action said more guns is not the answer.
"We want common sense gun laws in the United States, that includes comprehensive framework of universal background checks, red flag laws," said Jayden Speed.
Banning Lewis Prep Academy students said they want to catch the attention of lawmakers.
"I think expanding mental health services would be awesome [and] expanding school security," said Crist.
She said they want to see a rise of age for people who can buy guns too.
"School is a place for learning, not lock downs, education should be the priority and right now it isn't; I feel like my peers are fearing more so dying than they are final exams," said Crist.
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