Youth groups now calling for action and gun control following Parkland shooting

Lie-in Rally for Gun Control

Several youth groups, including those formed by students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, have started to rally in different locations across the country in an effort to stress the importance of gun control. A group called Teens for Gun Reform, which was organized by students through Facebook staged a “lie-in” rally outside the White House earlier in the week. The group is calling for action on gun control following the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida that claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members.

The group posted on social media that their goal is to make a statement to the government to hopefully make them realize that there is a lack of gun control and that the lives of the youth must be protected. During the demonstration, several students laid on the sidewalk in front the White House with their arms over their chests. This apparently symbolized the thousands of victims of mass shootings, which has become a common occurrence in the country.

Demonstrators lie on the ground during a ‘lie-in’ demonstration supporting gun control reform near the White House on February 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

A report from The Guardian has revealed that there has already been 1,624 mass shooting in the United States in the past 1,870 days. This has resulted in the deaths of 1,875 people with 6,848 injuries. Most of the incidents involved the use a high-powered rifle, similar to the AR-15 rifle that was legally obtained by Nikolas Cruz prior to the Parkland massacre.

WATCH: Teens hold “lie-in” protest for gun reform outside of the White House in the wake of Florida school shooting pic.twitter.com/npUwDwn5VD

— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 19, 2018

Students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are also planning a massive rally called “March for Our Lives.” The rally is scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. on March 24. Several smaller rallies are also reportedly being organized in different cities around the country. The Women’s March youth group EMPOWER is also planning a national school walkout on March 14, which is the one month anniversary of the Florida massacre, to honor the victims who lost their lives during the tragic incident.

White House officials have revealed that President Donald Trump will be holding a listening session with students and teachers this week, which will be followed by a meeting with state officials.