Heather Opsincs was charged with aggravated manslaughter.
After the deadly 2018 Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, there have been a series of gun reform laws that were passed but efforts have been made to weaken those restrictions.
On Tuesday, Florida House Democrats and gun safety advocates held a virtual news conference to oppose House Bill 759.
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WATCH HEREIf it passes, the newly proposed bill would lower the minimum age to buy a gun in Florida to 18 years old.
Democrats fiercely oppose the bill and said it's a rollback of lifesaving legislation that happened after the Parkland shooting, which claimed the lives of 17 victims.
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Because of the changes from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, there were red flag laws put in place that would make the minimum age to buy certain firearms in Florida 21-year-old.
Gun safety advocates said this new bill would be a step backward.
Tom Hixon, who lost his father, Chris Hixon, in the Parkland shooting, spoke out Tuesday against the bill.
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“Now lawmakers want to repeal that progress that was achieved in 2018 and allow 18-year-olds to own a firearm, increasing the risk of the MSD shooting happening again," he said. "Killing more innocent people like my father and 16 other daughters and sisters, sons and brothers and fathers.”
“Lowering the age back to 18 after we raised it to 21 for the purchase of long guns is going in the wrong," said Leader Pro Tempore Christine Hunschofsky.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, most Republicans are in favor of rolling back the age limit to buy certain weapons in Florida.
Florida Speaker of the House Daniel Perez spoke on the topic in early March.
“I was here when Marjory Stoneman Douglas happened, when that tragedy took place and it was a very emotional time, and I voted in favor of that bill, and it was a good bill, and it was necessary,“ Perez said. "I believe an 18-year-old should be able to purchase the long rifles. Many of these long rifles on what they used for hunting and at the same time an 18, a 19 or 20-year-old is able to defend our country, and I believe if they are able to do that, you should be able to have a long rifle at the age of 18 as well.”
HB 759 will head to the House floor for a vote on Wednesday.
