Gabi Pittinger was in the school library when her mother texted: "Gabi there's a shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas."
Pittinger, 16, a sophomore at Eden Prairie High, knew people at that school, having recently moved from Parkland, Fla., Frantic, she scrolled through her Instagram and sent messages to everyone she knew there.
"My heart just felt heavy. I was filled with dread," she recalled. "I was terrified and [thought] that all these people that I would hang out with every day for most of my life were lying down on a pavement dead."
Pittinger later learned of a nationwide call to students and school staffs to honor the 17 victims by walking out of their schools for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. on March 14.
She ordered a "walkout tool kit" and mobilized more than 500 of her Eden Prairie High peers to participate. Students throughout the metro plan to walk out Wednesday.
Since the Florida shooting, countless students have staged peaceful rallies and walkouts from classes to support gun violence victims and demand stricter gun laws they say will keep them safer.
But with more student protests planned in the coming weeks — including the big "March for Our Lives" protest March 24 in Washington, D.C. — school officials find themselves walking a fine line, making sure they don't violate students' constitutional rights while upholding their own district policies.
School districts have issued statements to parents and school administrators making it clear that they do not endorse the protests, steering clear of suggesting any legal repercussions. Walkouts, school officials argue, pose safety concerns. And if officials were to endorse the protests, they risk tainting relationships with students whose views don't align with their protesting peers.