Advertisement

Florida town hall meeting to feature students, NRA, politicians

By Sara Shayanian
A demonstrator holds a sign calling for tighter firearm laws following the shooting deaths of 17 people at a high school in South Florida last week. Photo by Gary Rothstein/UPI
A demonstrator holds a sign calling for tighter firearm laws following the shooting deaths of 17 people at a high school in South Florida last week. Photo by Gary Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A town hall meeting in Florida Wednesday night will feature students, parents, politicians and gun rights advocates to discuss gun laws and safety following the mass shooting at a South Florida high school.

The town hall will be televised by CNN and moderated by anchor Jake Tapper at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. It is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. EST.

Advertisement

Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch and Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have agreed to attend the event, which CNN calls Stand Up: The Students of Stoneman Douglas Demand Action.

The National Rifle Association agreed to participate in the event, and will be represented at the town hall by national spokeswoman Dana Loesch.

Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. -- including Kevin Trejos, Ryan Deitsch, Alfonso Calderon, Chris Grady and Emma Gonzalez -- will join the discussion.

President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott each declined an invitation to appear at the town hall discussion.

Advertisement

The meeting centers on last week's shooting attack that killed 17 -- and demonstrations this week by students, teachers and activists at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee this week, who lobbied for stricter gun control laws.

Trump was scheduled to hold a listening session with students and teachers affected by the mass shooting on Wednesday afternoon.

Last week, Trump visited victims, community members and first responders in South Florida.

Latest Headlines