NRA Plans To March In Webster Groves July 4th Parade

WEBSTER GROVES, MO — Some residents are up in arms over plans for the National Rifle Association to march in Webster Groves' annual July 4th parade on Wednesday.

"They have a right to be in the parade, but I don't support them. I don't support what they do," one resident told Fox 2 St. Louis.

The NRA, a gun rights advocacy group, has opposed calls for gun reform in the wake of high profile shootings like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, earlier this year that left 17 students and teachers dead.

More than 30,000 Americans are killed by guns every year and twice that number are injured, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 13,000 are murdered. The rest take their own lives or are victims of shooting accidents. Almost half are children or young adults.

The vast majority of shootings aren't covered anywhere as extensively as the Parkland Shooting.

Last year St. Louis cracked its 25-year murder record. Per capita, the city ranks third for gun homicides in the United States and first for non-fatal shootings, according to data from the FBI and Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Moms Demand Action, a self-described "gun sense" organization modeled on the successful anti-drunk driving group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, has said it will also march in the parade. They plan to wear red t-shirts.

Moms Demand Action has previously seen large crowds at its meetings in Webster Groves.

Missouri State Rep. Sarah Unsicker said on Facebook that she has talked to the Webster Groves police chief and that NRA members will not be carrying weapons during the parade. She added that she will be meeting with the city's mayor sometime after the holiday to discuss current gun law and future legislation.

The Webster Groves parade, scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m., comes at the end of a four-day carnival, with fireworks displays planned for the evenings of July 3 and 4.

Photo: Protesters rally in Tallahassee, Florida, after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting. (Shutterstock)