A week ago, 17 people, students and adults, were killed, authorities say, by a former student wielding an AR-15 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Wednesday night, lawmakers and students who survived, and parents of victims, gathered to discuss possible solutions inside the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
Among the lawmakers, US Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, along with US Representative Ted Deutch. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Rick Scott declined invites.
Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter Jamie a week ago, challenged Rubio on his stance on banning assault-style guns.
“So let me be honest with you about that one,” Rubio said. “If I believe that that law would have prevented this from happening, I would support it. But I want to explain to you why it would not.”
The crowd booed. Guttenberg resounded, “Senator Rubio, my daughter running down the hallway at Marjory Stoneman Douglas was shot in the back.
Senator Nelson did say that it was a mistake by the Democratic Party when they controlled the House and Senate after the Sandy Hook massacre to not make gun control a priority.
Rubio said he would consider raising the age limit from 18 to 21 to buy guns, and rules on magazine restriction.
