Student activists from Parkland, Fla., quickly mobilized after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, becoming a vocal force calling for tighter gun laws. That movement led to mass "March For Our Lives" demonstrations around the country in March. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
Student activists from Parkland, Fla., quickly mobilized after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, becoming a vocal force calling for tighter gun laws. That movement led to mass "March For Our Lives" demonstrations around the country in March.
Alex Brandon/APGun control advocates view 2018 as a turning point in their campaign to strengthen the country's gun laws.
They cite widespread success in passing laws through state legislatures. They're also buoyed by Democratic victories in the midterm elections, which flipped control of the House of Representatives. Another benchmark: In this election cycle, gun control groups outspent[1] gun rights groups for the first time ever.
The advocates' optimism comes after a series of devastating mass shootings in 2018:
Feb. 14: Seventeen people killed — 14 students and three staff — at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
May 18: Ten people killed — eight students and two teachers — at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas
June 28: Five staffers killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper office in Annapolis, Md.
