Less than 50 miles away from where an alleged gunman the took the lives for 14 high school students and 3 staffs, one of Florida’s largest gun shows was underway.
More than 140 vendors were at the Miami Gun Show Saturday, selling a variety of weapons including knifes, ammunitions, handguns and the same type of rifle that 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz allegedly used in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Authorities say Cruz, who was expelled last year for disciplinary reasons, walked into his former school with an AR-15 and opened fire. He is charged with 17 counts of murder.
"There’s no disrespect or insensitivity intended by this long-planned gun show," the organizers of the Florida Gun Shows said in a statement Saturday.
The organization said they want to acknowledge the City of Parkland and its citizens in the aftermath of the shooting, as well as the students and teachers who were murdered in the vicious attack.
"We demand and enforce strict gun safety and encourage training for those who wish to own firearms," the organization continued.
Organizers also acknowledged the timing of the show and asked attendees to "give all opinions respect and deference particularly in these very troubled times."
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Jorge Fernandez, Florida Gun Show manager, says people will still be able to get firearms even if lawmakers passes gun control legislation.
"The criminal element will continue to have access to those firearms [on the black market],” said Fernandez, "Out of the country, in the country, they’ll steal them from police cars."
Chanting "enough is enough" and waving signs emblazoned with messages like "No more silence, end gun violence," demonstrators gathered to rally for stronger gun control laws.
