High school students across the country, and across the Capital Region, are walking out of class today to protest gun violence, and to remember the 17 victims of the Valentine's Day shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Many of the observances were designed to last 17 minutes, one minute for each of those who died at the hands of the gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
"I want to feel the energy in the room," said Shaker High School senior Asma Bawla, the organizer of that school's event. "I'm really excited to see how our school is going to react to this."
Bawla told the Shaker crowd of about 300 that "enough is enough."
"School is a safe place for all of us to learn and grow, and it needs to stay that way," she said.
A number of elected officials joined with students at other area high schools, including Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who visited Columbia High School in East Greenbush, the site of a shooting incident some years ago.
photo: WGY news