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Brighton student organizes anti-gun violence march in wake of deadly Florida school shooting

Dylan Holcomb, Brighton H.S. senior
Beth Adams/WXXI News
Dylan Holcomb, Brighton H.S. senior

Inspired by the vocal protests of students in South Florida whose high school was the scene of a deadly mass shooting last week, local students are organizing their own demonstrations to call for an end to gun violence.

"All kids consider, 'Okay, I'm in Math class. Which window am I gonna jump out of if there's a school shooter?', said Brighton High School senior Dylan Holcomb. “Any time there is an unannounced drill, the first thing that goes through our mind is, 'Oh my God, is there a school shooter?' "

Holcomb is spearheading a school walkout on the morning of March 14.  He is also working with other students to plan a "March for Our Lives" in Rochester on March 24 to coincide with a similar march in Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities.

He said the normalization of the gun crisis has led students to say "enough is enough.”

"Our adult counterparts, our adult legislators - particularly those who receive money from the NRA or are silenced other gun lobbyists - have not helped us, have not protected our lives or prioritized our existence in schools, which are supposed to be safe spaces."

The March 24 "March for Our Lives" is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Washington Square Park. Holcomb said students from across Monroe County are welcome, as well as parents, teachers, administrators, and allies.

Click on the LISTEN link above to hear an interview with Dylan Holcomb.

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.