Gun violence was the subject of a large Town Hall gathering at Rockford’s East High School Wednesday.
The event was organized by students from several local high schools to discuss gun violence in schools and the Rockford area. Panelists included members of the Rockford Police Department, city officials, and members of the General Assembly. Megan Larson is a Senior from Lutheran. She was pleased with the conversation but said this isn’t the end of her group’s activism.
"We would like to go statewide and possibly nationally and we would like to create a cohesive group of many, many individuals, no matter the age, no matter the experience, no matter the profession," she said. "We need to make our voices heard. And whether that be through elections, whether that be through voting, whether that be through social media outlets, we must make our voices heard in the situation."
The League of Women Voters was on hand after the meeting to register students to vote. Though Gov. Bruce Rauner, his challenger J.B. Pritzker, and U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos and Adam Kinzinger were unable to attend, they released statements praising the students' efforts.