PLANO, Texas — Four days after Saturday’s mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, students at least three Plano ISD high schools took to social media to share plans to walk out of school Wednesday to protest gun violence.
An Instagram accounted called @dearpisd, self-described as a community organization that aims to give students a voice, shared information for demonstrations at Plano West High School, Plano Senior High School and Plano East High School.
Preston LeBlanc is a junior at Plano Senior High. He said he’d been in touch with friends at other Plano schools who participated in the walkouts.
"This is affecting our lives really hard," LeBlanc said. "We have to fear that this could be a reality that comes to our school."
Students who participated at the Plano Senior High protest met outside for just a few moments during fifth period, but LeBlanc said the demonstration symbolizes a feeling that’s palpable.
"It impacted a lot of people," LeBlanc said. "You can see it everywhere. Anywhere. If you go next door and talk to anyone, they were impacted somehow."
Following the shooting on Saturday, police have responded to multiple threats made against schools in North Texas. LeBlanc said he’s seen them on social media.
“It’s not fair at all, especially because this wasn’t as big of a problem even a decade ago and now it’s gotten so bad,” LeBlanc said.
Between the threats and uptick in violent tragedies, he said it’s hard to feel safe.
“It’s gotten way out of hand,” LeBlanc said. “People need to know that this is not okay.”
According to posts circulating on social media, there are more walkouts scheduled for Thursday at schools across North Texas.