NAPLES, Fla.,-- A group of Collier County students invited the community to talk about gun violence. They say the world believes they are "too young" to tackle the issue, but Monday night it was the students speaking and the adults listening.
“I only felt passionate when it was a 'me' problem," said Chase Melton, a student at Naples High and one of the speakers at the event.
Melton, 15, says he was "late" to joining other students in speaking out against gun violence. He says it was mainly because he didn't realize the scope of gun violence until 17 people were killed in the Parkland Shooting.
“Parkland is only two hours away from our school. So I felt like, oh my god, that could happen to me," said Melton.
Melton joined forces with Dhael Monfiston, the youth representative of the N.A.A.C.P to speak on how gun violence has affected minorities across the country.
“It’s been affecting minorities for ages now, and this should have been something that got this much awareness a long time ago," explained Monfiston.
Monfiston, 17, will be studying politics at Princeton University in the fall. She says the number one cause of deaths for African-Americans is gun violence and it's important to bring different organizations together on the issue.
“The whole crowd, we all can exchange contacts and so we can all go forth and work as a whole to make some change.”
The students say the change doesn’t stop here. They want to see a nation-wide ban on assault rifles and are planning another march on June 2nd to celebrate national gun violence awareness day.
