Arizona students gather to remember victims of Texas school shooting

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: BC-CNS-March for Our Lives Rally, 220 words.
  • Photos and captions below.

By ELLEN O’BRIEN
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – More than 100 people on Monday lit candles and silently placed flowers outside the Arizona Capitol to memorialize the eight students and two teachers gunned down Friday at Santa Fe High School near Galveston, Texas.

The families, students, activists and faith leaders stood as high school students took turns describing the victims.

“I get to speak for them. I get to let others know who they were and how beautiful they are, because they’re so beautiful,” said Yamile Martinez, who attends Metro Tech in Phoenix.

March for Our Lives Arizona, a student-led group that demands greater protections against gun violence, organized the vigil. Jordan Harb, the group’s executive director, said he knew what it was like to be one of those students at Santa Fe.

“I have a personal connection to them because I go to school, and I’m scared,” said Harb, who attends Mountain View High in Mesa.

The students also called on Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special session of the Legislature to address gun violence.

“Something I would tell (the victims and their families) is that this is not over,” Martinez told the crowd. “(I would tell them) to continue with life. To have faith. And to take action.”

Follow us on Instagram.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

^_=

Itzel Valenzuela waits for sunset to hold vigil for the victims of last week’s Santa Fe High School shooting in Texas. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
Abby Rosenbaum, 9, and Andrew Rosenbaum, 12, listen as faith leaders call for action on gun violence in schools. They came with their family to the Capitol Monday night. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
More than 100 people gathered at the Capitol on Monday night to commemorate the 10 victims of the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
Darlene Gaudette and her daughter Riley stand vigil at the Capitol. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
At the rally Monday night, the student-led organization March for Our Lives Arizona urged Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special session to address gun violence. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
Jordan Harb, executive director of March for Our Lives Arizona, lights a candle at the vigil he helped organize. “I have a personal connection to (the victims) because I go to school, and I’m scared,” said Harb, who will be a senior next year. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
Andrew Rosenbaum, 12, relights a candle that was blown out by the wind. at Monday’s vigil at the Capitol. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)