Millikan High School students take part in a nationwide walkout against gun violence Wednesday morning. Photos by Medina Kabir.

Thousands of Long Beach students walked out of elementary schools, middle schools and high schools Wednesday morning to demand gun reforms in the wake of last month’s school shooting in Florida.

At Millikan High School, over 1,000 students were joined by teachers and administrators as they walked to the school football field in a 17-minute peaceful protest in honor of the 17 lives lost in February at Stoneman Douglas High School, killed by 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz.

The students who participated reflected about one-fourth of the total student body at Millikan, according to administrator Veronica Bustamante.

“This effects everyone at Millikan High, we’ve been threatened multiple times with gun violence and something has to change,” said Blake Bayliss, one of the student organizers of the walkout event. “When these students go to vote one day, I hope they remember this walkout and support a stricter gun control law.”

Last month a student at Millikan was arrested after classmates reported overhearing him threaten to harm others at school.

Millikan High School Student Arrested After Making Verbal Threat on Campus

As part of the demonstration starting at 10:00AM this morning, students walked around the track, holding handmade signs and posters calling for an end to gun violence.

“Imagine being a kid going to school and having to live with the of fear not knowing if you’re going to live,” said student Ellen Flores. “Imagine the parents that fear their kid is never coming back after they drop them off. The real question is, how many more people have to die for there to be a change?”

Student organizers stood together and read aloud the 17 names of those who were killed in the Florida school shooting, remembering their achievements, braveness and future goals for students who were going to graduate.

“Everything was done calmly and safely, everything was orchestrated beautifully,” said Millikan High Dean Kyle Heinrich after the event. “It’s unfortunate that negative incidents (arrests) occurred in other schools. We, fortunately have this outstanding community of scholars, students, staff. We knew with the guidance and proper leadership this event would be educating.”

Co-principal Alejandro Vega, who also participated in the event, said the role of educators is to support students.

“We are proud they are expressing their views and doing it in a very constructive way,” Vega said. “I can’t think of one person who didn’t want this event to happen. We had parents who spoke to us and were very thankful we were allowing students to participate in this walk out to express their views.”

Co-principal Michael Navia noted the passion he saw in organizers when he met with them about the cause.

“So many of our students, staff and teachers inspired us today,” Navia said. “We really praise our students who come to us and report a threat, you never want any violence to occur in your school.”

Campus security officer Beatriz Nieves said students understand the meaning of making a difference and that today was an example of that.

“Students have had this silent cry inside them, but this event was their way of showing they’re speaking out,” said campus security officer Beatriz Nieves.

Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education member Diana Craighead also showed her support at Millikan, and said she was there to offer her encouragement for the walkout event.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser said efforts by school staff and student leaders to provide on-campus activities to allow students to speak their minds resulted in more than 98 percent of high school students choosing to remain on campus.

“For many of our students, today was an example of living history,” Steinhauser said. “We thank everyone who helped to keep our students safe, providing them a learning experience that they will long remember.”

Last week, the Board of Education unanimously adopted a resolution calling for greater efforts nationally and statewide to prevent gun violence, LBUSD officials said. A signed copy of that resolution was also scheduled to be mailed to every school district in California, to administrators at Stoneman Douglas High and to the White House.

Community members are expected to take part in another nationwide event spearheaded by some students at Stoneman Douglas High School, titled “March For Our Lives”, next Saturday morning.