This comes just one month following a shooting that unfolded inside the local Walmart.
LANCASTER, S.C. — On Saturday, students from South Middle School in Lancaster County, South Carolina, led a Stop the Violence Rally to protest substance abuse and gun violence.
This comes just more than a month after a shooting unfolded inside the local Walmart.
“I hope the community realizes that they’re not alone and it’s not too late to stop and think about life,” said student Demarien Lathan.
The rally was packed with handmade signs, with messages like “choose to live” and “no guns.” Volunteers handed out gun locks, lockable prescription bottles, and Narcan.
Students say this rally was important to them after watching too many get caught in cycles of trauma.
“The youth just really want people to know how much it effects them and their friends,” shared Natalie Childers, the Youth Development Director for The Children’s Council. “Lancaster is a small county – and a lot of people who live here have lived here their entire lives, so they know what they’ve seen, and for our youth to recognize this is a problem and say, ‘hey, we’re losing relatives and loved ones to this’ — this isn’t okay.”
Students say they didn’t want this to just be a march, but a statement.
“Of course, we want the issues to stop – that is a broad goal, but we really just want the awareness in our community and for teens to realize this isn’t just an adult problem, it affects us as well,” explained Madison Whitaker, another student.
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