DENVER (KDVR) — Following Wednesday’s shooting, students made their way to the Capitol relaying their frustrations and safety concerns to lawmakers once again. East High students did the same thing following the death of their classmate Luis Garcia. Garcia was shot in the head outside the school on Feb. 13 and died three weeks later.
Lawmakers have been working on gun legislation all month long but students made it clear Thursday, they are running out of patience.
East High students filled the halls of the Capitol as they rallied for policy changes, getting their voices heard by any means necessary. Some students even cornered Republicans who are not in support of current gun proposals. Students told FOX31 they are ready for action on all the gun bills presented at this session.
“They just need to get passed. I mean anything at this point. We see how much this affects our community and how much could be passed, there is no reason not to pass these bills,” East sophomore Stella Kaye said.
“You did mention part of the solution would be putting armed guards in schools and I just want to say with all due respect, you are not a student and school is not a prison, and we are not prisoners,” Kaye told El Paso County Republican Representative Ken DeGraaf.
State Representative Regina English, an El Paso County Democrat, talked to students two weeks ago and made time to hear them out again this time.
“A couple weeks back when the kids were here, they shared with me that I was one of the many few legislators that came out of my protected space to be with them in their unprotected space but I shared with them, you have the same protections and rights that I do and we are here to do the work for you because we see you, we hear you and your voice matters,” English said.
Among the other lawmakers talking to students was state Senator Rhonda Fields.
With gun violence personally hitting her family years ago and a bullet striking her home earlier this month, Fields said it’s time to put forward meaningful solutions.
“I feel absolutely terrorized. No one should experience gun sounds, gunfire shouldn’t be a soundtrack that we hear in our communities. And when we hear of gunfire we should be reporting it and having law enforcement investigating it,” Fields said. “It’s getting to the point where I don’t want people to get desensitized.”
On top of all the proposals currently making their way through the Capitol, Fields is getting ready to unveil a new measure to crack down on ghost guns. She expects that bill to be introduced in the coming days.