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STORM. WE WILL HAVE LIVE UPDATES FOR YOU THROUGHOUT THIS NEWSCAST. TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF THE IOWA LEGISLATIVE SESSION. LAWMAKERS WERE MET BY STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE METRO WHO WALKED OUT OF THEIR CLASSES TO MARCH TO THE STATEHOUSE. THERE, THEY DEMANDED MORE ACTION TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER IN THE WAKE OF LAST WEEK’S DEADLY SHOOTING AT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL, HOLDING SIGNS WITH MESSAGES LIKE I STAND WITH PERRY AND AM I NEXT? CROWDS LISTENED AS STUDENT SPEAKERS AND DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS CALL FOR CHANGE. THEY DEMANDED MORE GUN SAFETY LAWS IN IOWA, INCLUDING UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, RED FLAG LAWS AND MANDATORY WAITING PERIODS BEFORE BUYING A GUN EACH DAY, FAMILIES MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL TO GET AN EDUCATION OR KEEPING THEM AT HOME TO PROTECT THEIR SAFETY. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS CAN MAKE THIS CHOICE EASIER BY PASSING A GUN LEGISLATION THAT WILL ACTUALLY KEEP CHILDREN SAFE. STAY. STUDENTS AT EAST HIGH SCHOOL IN DES MOINES WERE AMONG THOSE AT THE STATEHOUSE, AND ����vlog’S MARCUS MCINTOSH WAS WITH SOME OF THEM AS THEY LEFT CLASS TO GET THE ATTENTION OF LAWMAKERS. MARCUS STACEY. AND BEN. NOW, SOME OF THE STUDENTS AT EAST HIGH SCHOOL GOT IN THEIR CARS AND DROVE HERE TO THE CAPITOL ON A COLD MONDAY AFTERNOON. BUT ABOUT 50 OR SO MET NEAR THE SCHOOL’S WEST STEPS BEFORE WALKING HERE FOR THAT RALLY. THEY ALL SAY THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK, AND IT’S NOW TIME FOR ACTION. AND THEY STAND WITH PERRY. NO. MORE SILENCE AND GUN VIOLENCE. ON A COLD MONDAY AFTERNOON, DOZENS OF STUDENTS WALKED FROM EAST HIGH SCHOOL TO THE STATE CAPITOL JUST BLOCKS AWAY. THESE DEATHS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. THEY TOOK PART IN A RALLY TO PROTEST WHAT THEY SEE AS INACTION WHEN IT COMES TO GUN VIOLENCE, GUNS ARE A VERY BIG PROBLEM. LIKE THERE’S KIDS BRINGING GUNS TO SCHOOL, THERE’S KIDS BRINGING GUNS ANYWHERE, REALLY. JOHNSTON STUDENTS ALSO WALKED OUT OF SCHOOL TO ATTEND THE RALLY AT THE STATEHOUSE, JOINING EAST STUDENTS TO PROTEST GUN VIOLENCE FOR EAST HIGH SCHOOL. THE TRAGEDY IN PERRY HITS HOME IN MARCH OF 2022. A SHOOTING OUTSIDE OF EAST LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD AND TWO OTHERS SERIOUSLY INJURED. WE CAN RELATE, SO I FEEL LIKE IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO US JUST SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE LIKE IT HAPPENED HERE. IT’S HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT’S A PROBLEM. THE STUDENTS WE SPOKE WITH SAY SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TELLING US MOST STUDENTS NO LONGER CONSIDER SCHOOL THEIR SAFE PLACE. SOME PEOPLE DON’T HAVE GOOD AT HOME LIVES AND THEY COME TO SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, AS THEIR SAFE PLACE. AND IT’S SAD THAT PEOPLE ARE NOW GOING TO SCHOOL AND. IT’S NOT THEIR SAFE PLACE ANYMORE. THE STUDENTS SAY THEIR GOAL IS TO SPARK ACTION AND GET LAWMAKERS TO PASS STRICTER GUN LAWS. THEY’RE CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR TO DO SOMETHING. I JUST WANT KIM REYNOLDS TO KNOW THAT BLOOD IS ON HER HANDS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED. THE STATEWIDE STATEHOUSE RALLY WAS ORGANIZED BY MARCH FOR OUR LIVES IOWA. THAT’S A STUDENT RUN ORGANIZATION THAT RELIES ON YOUNG PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICIES. WE’RE LIVE AT THE STATE HOUSE. I’M MARCUS MCINTOSH ����vlog EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER, THE PARENTS OF THE PERRY SCHOOL SHOOTER SAY THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR SON COMMITTED SUCH A HORRIBLE ACT. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED TODAY THROUGH THEIR ATTORNEY, JACK AND ERIN BUTLER SAY WHEN THEY DROPPED THEIR SON DYLAN OFF AT SCHOOL LAST THURSDAY, THEY HAD NO IDEA HE PLANNED SUCH HORRIBLE VIOLENCE. IN FACT, THEY SAY HE TALKED ABOUT HIS FUTURE PLANS. THE BUTLER SAY THEY MUST LIVE WITH THIS TERRIBLE LEGACY AND THE PERR