Three years ago, tragedy struck when Nikolas Cruz walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire. 17 people lost their lives that Feb.14 and many were injured. However, some students who attended Stoneman Douglas have not been silent, and have used their voice to spread awareness and try to end gun violence.

Many students who attended that school, including Jaclyn Corin, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky and Alex Wind, founded March for Our Lives.

March for Our Lives began after the shooting in order to bring light to the tragedy. Students who witnessed the shooting remembered their classmates and faculty who died and hope to reduce gun violence in the U.S. as a whole. 

On Mar. 24, 2018, about a month after the shooting happened, March for Our lives held a nationwide protest. More than 200,000 people attended the march in Washington, D.C, with 880 sister events occurring simultaneously across the U.S. 

The event was as one of the largest protests in history. Around 1.2 to 2 million people in total marched for the lives of those who died because of gun violence and to honor and remember those who died in the MSD shooting, specifically. 

Corin, one of the founders of March for Our Lives, started the hashtag #whatif on social media. This hashtag encourages social media users to share content that supports ending gun violence.

Gonzalez, another founder delivered a speech that discussed the necessity of change in regards to gun laws and gun violence. They, like their fellow protestors, wishes to end gun violence, and continues to spread this message through public speaking on the tour “Road to Change.” They continue to speakout and advocate for the end of gun violence.

David Hogg led “March for Our Lives” and was also a public speaker on the “Road to Change.” Additionally, Hogg wrote a book with his sister about the shooting, entitled, ”#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line.”

Cameron Kasky started the hashtags #NeverAgain and #EnoughIsEnough. He helped found March for Our Lives alongside many other survivors of the shooting, and continues the fight to end gun violence. 

Alex Wind spoke out against gun violence after the shooting. He also helped co-found #NeverAgain, a gun control movement that operates to this day. He came together with other March for Our Lives founders and co-wrote a book called, “Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparkled a Movement.” 

Every day, these students have continued to work to end gun violence and make a difference. They hope to see change so that what happened to their peers and faculty never happens again.