UNC students urge lawmakers to tighten gun laws

University of North Carolina students on Tuesday will hold a protest outside the state legislative building, demanding that lawmakers take meaningful steps to end gun violence.
Posted 9/12/2023, 5:17:55 PM Updated 9/12/2023, 5:58:08 PM

WHAT OUR IMPACTS FOR THE COAST

WILL BE COMING.

>> IN LESS THAN AN HOUR, UNC

CHAPEL HILL STUDENTS PLAN TO

HOLD A PROTEST OUTSIDE THE

STATE LEGISLATURE. THEY'RE

DEMANDING LAWMAKERS MAKE AND

TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TO END

GUN VIOLENCE. WRAL'S DESTINY.

PATTERSON JOINS US LIVE WITH

THEIR MESSAGE. DESTINY.

>> WELL, DAD, LIKE YOU SAID, WE

ARE EXPECTING SEVERAL STUDENT

GROUPS TO GET TOGETHER HERE IN

JUST ABOUT AN HOUR. YOU CAN SEE

THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SET

UP. THEY'VE GOT SPEAKERS HERE

GETTING READY FOR THAT EVENT.

AND ALREADY THIS MORNING, WE'VE

HEARD FROM SOME OF THOSE

STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED

GUN VIOLENCE. IT WAS HOSTED

IN A NEWS CONFERENCE BY

REPRESENTATIVE LAURA. BUT AND

SENATOR GREGG MYERS NOW TODAY

IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE

STUDENTS ARE HOPING TO CONNECT

WITH STATE LAWMAKERS AS THEY

WORK TO PASS THE BUDGET.

ORGANIZERS SAY THERE ARE 2

SPECIFIC ISSUES THEY'RE HONING

IN ON. THAT'S GUN CONTROL AND

VOTER RIGHTS. THE STUDENTS SAY

THEY WANT TO SEE TIGHTER GUN

LAWS LIKE RED FLAG LAWS AND

REQUIRED BACKGROUND CHECKS.

PLUS, THEY SAY THEY WANT

YOUNGER VOTERS TO GET EXCITED

ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED WITH

THE HOPES OF ENDING GUN

VIOLENCE. SEVERAL STUDENTS

WHO'VE BEEN AFFECTED BY SCHOOL

GUN VIOLENCE ARE MEETING WITH

LAWMAKERS TODAY AND THEY SAY

THEY'RE HOPING THE RECENT

SHOOTING AT UNC WILL ENCOURAGE

LAWMAKERS TO MAKE CHANGE.

>> I AM SICK OF THOUGHTS AND

PRAYERS. I WANT BILLS AND I

WANT CHANGE.

>> BEING PART OF THE LOCKDOWN

GENERATION IS NOT SOMETHING

YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF.

AND NOW WE HAVE AND ALL OF US

HERE ARE A PART OF IT. THIS

IS NOT A GROUP. THIS IS NOT A

CLUB THAT YOU WANT TO BE A PART

OF. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NO MORE

SILENCE.

>> AGAIN, 1 O'CLOCK MARCH FOR

OUR LIVES RALLY WILL HAPPEN

RIGHT HERE. WE'RE EXPECTING

A LARGE TURNOUT WITH STUDENTS

FROM ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

>> ALL ACROSS THE STATE,

ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM CHAPEL

HILL WITH THE RECENT EVENTS,