North Texas students will walk out to protest gun violence — before it's too late

North Texas high school students will join a nationwide movement Friday and walk out of class to commemorate victims of campus shootings and remind lawmakers they want action taken — not words spoken — against gun violence.

Student activists are sending this message on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting and just weeks after 17 people were killed at a school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

The National School Walkout movement has been heavily publicized by survivors of the Parkland shooting.

Activists have been adding planned walkouts to the National School Walkout website. Some students are working with their school administrators to be able to hold student-led assemblies or demonstrations on campus. Events are listed on the National School Walkout website at high schools in Arlington, Colleyville, Dallas, Euless, Fort Worth, Keller, North Richland Hills and Mansfield. Most begin at 10 a.m.

Dakota Rudzik, an 18-year-old senior at Keller Central High School, said it is important to remember the Columbine High School shootings because that tragedy marks the beginning of a generation that has grown up worrying they could be gunned down on campus. He said his generation is moving to consolidate their voice before it is too late.

"If we don’t act politically we are going to get the short end of the stick,” said Rudzik, who has been organizing an event by word-of-mouth. Plans are to walk out of the north Fort Worth school at 10 a.m. to the school's courtyard.

Rudzik was also among youth activists who spoke at March For Our Lives Fort Worth last month.

Students can face unexcused absences if they walk off school grounds.

Students have been organizing walkouts and other demonstrations on social media using hashtags such as #nationalwalkout and #nationalschoolwalkout. They have created Facebook pages and Twitter account to spread walkout information.

Students at Southlake Carroll High School participated in a walkout in March.

On Tuesday, students at Eaton High School in north Fort Worth worked with school officials to organize an on-campus student-led event. But that effort was marred when the discussion on gun violence and school safety turned into racially charged skirmishes.

Jordan Vine, who organized the Eaton event, encouraged students at other campuses to take their stand against gun violence.

"Stay strong. Don't let them break you," Vine advised other student organizers.

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published April 19, 2018 at 8:52 AM with the headline "North Texas students will walk out to protest gun violence — before it's too late."