WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Hundreds of students at Standley Lake High School walked out of class Friday afternoon, lining Wadsworth Boulevard with signs and chants calling for an end to gun violence.
The demonstration comes just two days after two students were wounded in a shooting at Evergreen High School before the shooter turned the gun on himself. Organizers said the tragedy compelled them to take swift action.
“We come to school to learn, and this is what we have to deal with,” said ninth grader Abigale Smith. “Everyone’s pretty scared right now. The parents, the teachers, and the students, too.”
Freshmen Riley Johnsen and Abigale Smith, both 14, said they joined the walkout to raise awareness and push for change.
“It’s really scary. Coming to school can be scary because of it, because we don’t know what’s going to happen, especially since it’s been in our district,” Johnsen said.
Smith added that she worried even about the protest itself.
“I was scared about something dangerous happening while we do this. But I think it’s worth it to let people know what’s going on,” she said.
Freshmen Levin Kenison and Drake Ellis said walking out was about refusing to accept school shootings as the new normal.
“Gun violence isn’t okay and it shouldn’t be normalized anymore,” Ellis said.
“I don’t want to get shot just for doing something that I’m legally required to do,” Kenison added.
Both said the honks and cheers from passing cars reinforced that their voices were being heard.
Standley Lake High School seniors Isaac Palma and Andrew Lin helped organize the demonstration after seeing a similar event planned at Wheat Ridge High School. They expected about 200 participants.
“I’m shocked that we were able to get such a large percent of the student body out here today, making signs, chanting along Wadsworth,” Palma said.
“We’re in high school. We’re not adults yet. Why do we have to worry about losing our lives to get an education?" Lin added.
Both said this walkout was just the beginning of their activism.
Ben and Steph Petri, who have a niece at Standley Lake and a daughter in another Jeffco school, came to support the crowd.
“We’ve been through too many of these school shootings in our communities, and we’re tired of this,” Ben Petri said. “We want change to make our schools safer.”
His wife, Steph, called for stronger laws.
“We’d just like to see common sense gun laws enacted so that kids have less access to guns to do these things,” Steph said.
Sophomore Faye Wentz said she walked out because she was motivated by fear that has become routine.
“I am genuinely so terrified to even come to the place where I should feel the safest and where I should be comfortable enough to learn,” Wentz said. “No one should have to weigh the fact of, will I be safer if I don’t go to school? Will I be safer if I hide in the bathroom or if I hide in the closet?”
She added, “This shouldn’t even be a debate. This shouldn’t even be a fight, because these are kids’ lives.”
Standley Lake’s demonstration wasn’t the only one.
At Wheat Ridge High School, sophomore Maura Plavnick led a walkout where students carried signs and marched through their neighborhood.
“We should not be in fear in our classroom,” Plavnick said. “We should not be worried about making it to school the next day. We should not be struggling due to gun violence.”
Back in Westminster, students said the two-hour demonstration was just a starting point.
“I don’t think the change stops here,” Lin said. “We want to spread the word out more — not just in Colorado, but to the U.S. in general.”
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