Parkland survivors talk gun violence with Chicago high schoolers

Survivors of last month’s mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., met with Chicago high schoolers to talk about gun violence, CBS Chicago reported Monday.

Shooting survivor Emma González hosted high schoolers from Chicago’s St. Sabina Academy this weekend, according to the report.

A youth services coordinator at the Chicago high school told the news outlet that the students discussed the difference between the mass shooting in Florida and the everyday gun violence experienced in Chicago.

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“It really gave me hope to see these kids from high schools putting their minds together regardless of what city they’re from, or experiences, to do something about this gun issue in America,” Lamar Johnson said.

The trip to Florida was reportedly organized by former Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Michael Pfleger, a priest at St. Sabina known for his activism and advocacy for gun control.

González, who has been a vocal advocate for gun control in the weeks since the school shooting, tweeted Sunday about the meeting.

(1/4)Yesterday, the members of @AMarch4OurLives got to meet up with some of the most wonderful and most strong spoken students of Chicago. “Florida’s safest city” and one of the cities in America most affected by gun violence came together to share stories, ideologies, and pizza. pic.twitter.com/3SIDgvAnDM

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) March 4, 2018

(3/4) feels to have to grow up at the snap of a finger, we were able to cover a lot of ground in communicating our experiences. People of color in inner-cities and everywhere have been dealing with this for a despicably long time, and the media cycles just don’t cover the

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) March 4, 2018

(4/4) violence the way they did here. The platform us Parkland Students have established is to be shared with every person, black or white, gay or straight, religious or not, who has experienced gun violence, and hand in hand, side by side, We Will Make This Change Together.

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) March 4, 2018

The students at St. Sabina will participate in a national walkout to protest gun violence on March 14, and also plan to travel to Washington, D.C., later this month for the “March For Our Lives” organized by the Florida shooting survivors, according to CBS Chicago.