Schaumburg High School Students Walk Out For Stronger Gun Laws

SCHAUMBURG, IL — As part of a national student protest for stronger gun laws, around 1,200 Schaumburg High School students walked out of classes Wednesday, according to the Daily Herald. The students —many holding signs and chanting as they marched — gathered at the front of the school for 17 minutes of silence to honor each of the victims of last week's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, the report added.

Along with observing the one-week anniversary of the Florida tragedy, the walkout by students in Schaumburg and around the country was an effort to force lawmakers to enact tighter gun legislation. More stringent background checks and longer waiting times to buy firearms are some of the steps being advocated, the report added.

The walkout lasted around 30 minutes, and students returned to classes following the observance, the report stated. Township High School District 211 officials had met with the organizers of the protest earlier Wednesday, Feb. 21, and both sides agreed on students returning to class as terms of staging the walkout, the report added.

Other walkouts had been planned across the country to mark the week anniversary of the Parkland shooting. Nationwide protests also are being considered for the one-month anniversary March 14, as well as the 19th anniversary of Colorado's Columbine High School shooting on April 20.

Officials said they had not been alerted of any other walkouts set for other District 211 schools Wednesday. But the Herald reports that a similar protest happened at Elk Grove High School.

A day earlier, D211 Supt. Daniel E. Cates sent a letter to parents outlining the safety measures in place at schools in the district when it comes to incidents that could threaten students and faculty.

"The most recent traumatic event in Florida understandably prompts a range of questions for all of us and compels us to ask what more we can possibly do to help protect our students now and into the future," he wrote. "We will best meet these challenges before us by working together."

In his letter, Cates urged parents to work with school and district officials when it comes to reporting concerns over students who might be a danger to their classmates, themselves and others. He also promised quick action when it came to addressing such situations.

"Our first priority and commitment is that any student who we identify to be a threat to the safety and security of our schools, will be removed from our schools," Cates wrote. "Students, parents and staff members most often have first access to concerning statements, actions or communications. We rely on each report of concern that people might encounter, and it is critically important that we encourage all students, parents and staff members to report any troubling comment, action or exchange."

Go to the Township High School District 211 website to read the complete letter to parents by Supt. Daniel E. Cates.

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Schaumburg High School (Photo via Schaumburg High School | Township High School District 211)