ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WTSP) – Today’s high school students weren’t even alive when two gunmen opened fire at Columbine High School on this day in 1999, but because of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, the incident feels closer than ever.
The timeliness of both tragedies pushed 16-year-old Kai Tomalin of the Canterbury School of Florida in St. Petersburg to help organize a citywide student rally and voter registration drive Friday.
Students will rally outside of city hall at noon after staging walkouts at their respective schools. From there, they will head to the Supervisor of Elections office to help students register and preregister to vote.
Tomalin said it was important for him and the other organizers to couple the rally with tangible action that will hopefully push elected leaders to be more proactive on gun control.
Mayor Rick Kriseman will speak at Friday’s rally briefly, but students will lead the demonstration.
All are welcome to attend.
Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.
