More than 500 students in Bibb County Schools participated in a national day of walkouts to protest gun violence
Around 100 students at Howard High school skipped class for 17 minutes to stand in solidarity with schools around the country for national walkout day.
The students made signs and gathered in the lobby to hold hands in silence.
Stephanie Hartley, spokeswoman for Bibb County Schools, said it is their policy to give detention to students who skip class and there will be no exception in the case of those students.
She said that participating Bibb students would be given 20 minutes of detention after school and they can use that time to write a letter to their congressmen.
When students returned to class, senior Jacob Caldwell said the punishment would be worth it.
“This is a personal issue, there are a lot of students, myself included, who don't feel safe at school. It would be very easy to get a weapon inside of this school,” said Caldwell.
He says that he is planning a trip to Washington D.C. with his brother to protest there.
“I competitively shoot, I hunt, I love guns. They're fun, but there is a problem. There's an epidemic and it needs to be solved,” said Caldwell.
The 17 minutes of silence were symbolic of the 17 students that were shot in Parkland.