East High School students are walking out of class Friday to demand an end to gun violence following the shooting death of one of their classmates.
Luis Garcia, 16, was shot while inside a parked car near the school on the afternoon of Feb. 13. He was taken to the hospital with a "very poor prognosis" and died Wednesday at Denver Health after a 17-day fight for his life.
Luis was described as a passionate soccer player, who always worked hard and made others laugh. His teammates have been raising money for his family through a GoFundMe and wearing wristbands with his jersey number to honor him.
In a social media post from the school’s student council, those planning to attend were asked to wear the color red on Friday ahead of the walkout, which will begin shortly after 8 a.m. following a few words from speakers and a moment of silence to remember Luis.
From about 8:15 a.m. to about 9 a.m., East High students are expected to march to the Colorado State Capitol via 16th Street, turning left on Sherman until the arrival at the west steps of the Capitol.
At the Capitol, students will be joined by volunteers from two gun control organizations – Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action – which is gathering there for what they called an Advocacy Day. Several speakers, including the founder of Moms Demand Action, Democratic Senator Tom Sullivan, and students from East High School, will speak at the rally.
Last week, a group of East High Schools students went to Denver City Council and called on city leaders to act on school safety and gun violence. Specifically, the students are calling for enhanced cameras and security measures, school resource officers, and limited access to campus during school hours to start
Students from the Denver Center for International Studies will be joining East High School students at the march and rally.
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