Families Step Out In Orange To End Gun Violence
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PARKLAND (CBSMiami) -- In Parkland and downtown Miami, families wore orange shirts as part of the 'Wear Orange Weekend' campaign.
The event began five years ago to honor a 15-year-old girl, shot and killed in Chicago, just one week after performing in President Barack Obama's second inaugural parade.
Parents of Joaquin Oliver, one of the 17 people shot and killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, came out to the event in downtown Miami with a purpose.
His father said, "We wake up in the morning, we start our day with new ideas... to fight this and try to get our plan together."
April Schentrup feels the same pain. She lost her daughter in the deadly shooting on February 14th.
"My beloved Carmen was murdered in her classroom at MSD high school. Within seconds, four AR-15 bullets fatally pierced through her body," she said.
It's been three months of pushing for change, demanding answers and wanting gun violence to end. But until it does, they said they won't be silenced.
Fred Guttenberg, whose made it his job to attend protests and rallies of this kind after losing his daughter Jamie in the mass shooting, pushed to get everyone on board with the cause.
He said, "Let's get millions of people in orange shirts starting today, showing their commitment to vote to make gun safety the reason why."
After the weekend, an estimated 500 mayors, corporations and organizations in all 50 states will have participated in the "Wear Orange" campaign.
