Lowcountry groups call for legislators to act in wake of Florida school shooting

NORTH CHARLESTON (WCSC) - Lowcountry activists held a press conference Monday calling for an end to the "epidemic of gun violence."

The Coalition, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and other Lowcountry gun violence prevention advocates gathered outside North Charleston city hall in wake of the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida which killed 17 people.

They call their movement #NoMoreExcuses.

"Our children are dying," Maryl Chapman with the Brady Campaign said. "Military style weaponry does not need to be in the hands of civilians. We demand background checks on all guns sold in the country.

Dixon praised the Florida students who are demanding a ban of assault-style weapons.

"We are angry," Dixon said. "Our community is angry. Our state is angry and our nation is angry as our children go to school in fear that on any given day, going to school could be a death sentence for them."

Lily Smith also spoke saying he father was shot and killed while on-duty with the Charleston County police department in 1960.

"It destroyed me for 13 whole years. I was in agony," she said. "Gun violence destroys on every level. Anybody who is connected to a person who died and especially these children who have to sit back and watch their friends bleed out on the floor? It's unforgivable."

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