organizer at his school, which serves students in eighth and ninth grades.

The Waukee teenager said he was inspired by the activism of David Hogg and Emma González after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The Parkland, Florida, students have became national figures after leading the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., engaging lawmakers on social media and leading boycotts against businesses affiliated with the NRA.

"We can change the future," Mitchell said. "Our voices will be heard."

'It grew and grew and grew'

Across Iowa, students have planned similar Friday morning walkouts at their schools. Many are scheduled for 10 a.m.

A group of 52 central Iowa students has also planned the Students United Against Gun Violence Walkout that's scheduled for 11 a.m. Fridayat the state Capitol building in Des Moines.

Organizers are expecting hundreds of students from the Des Moines area and beyond to attend.

"It grew and grew and grew and grew, because we realized so many students in the area were interested in making some kind of change around gun violence," said Sam Spackman, a Waukee senior and one of the event's organizers.

The teens say they want legislators to make "common-sense" gun and mental healthcare reforms.

"I hope they do realize that we are coming up to voting age and they do need to shift their policies if they want to stay in office," said Anna Van Heukelom, a senior at Roosevelt.

Buy Photo

Anna Van Heukelom, a student at Des Moines Roosevelt, is helping to organize a rally at the Iowa Capitol