TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Gun safety was a hot topic at the Florida Legislature Wednesday, which is Advocacy Day.
500 people with the Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action used that time to push lawmakers to consider gun safety legislation.
Advocating for stricter gun control laws brought this passionate group from across Florida to the Capital City.
We got to tag along with the organization as they broke into groups and spent the day talking with lawmakers about an array of issues they're fighting for.
Most of the people we spoke to are mothers, some who lost their children in the Sandy Hook shooting, others to the Pulse Nightclub and Parkland shootings. They say they want changes to be made to keep everyone's children safe.
Moms Demand Action wants criminal background checks to be required on all gun sales, to see the gun show loophole closed, and the organization is strongly against arming teachers.
"As a retired school teacher, as a mother, as a survivor of gun violence, I think that's it's important for everybody to understand that they shouldn't wait until it happens to them for it to become important," said Lynn Hautamaki with the Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action. "In a crisis situation in a school with an active shooter, things could only go south with armed teachers."
As part of their mission, Moms Demand Actions want to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, domestic abusers and people with dangerous histories.
They're also hoping to find support for the red flag law. It allows family members to get guns taken away from their loved one if they suspect that person would harm him or herself or others.
And for the organization's third annual Advocacy Day, 500 supporters showed up Wednesday at Florida's Capitol, that's five times the number of people as last year.
Of course, this all is happening one week before we mark one year since the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Shooting that took the lives of 17 people.
