WASHINGTON — On Valentine’s Day last year, 17 people were killed when a gunman shot up a high school in Parkland Florida.
The mass shooting rocked, not only Florida but the entire country.
The tragedy sparked a movement that focused on tackling gun violence and changing laws.
You could hear the fear in their voices on 911 calls during the terrifying moments as a gunman sprayed bullets throughout Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
More than one dozen people had their lives snatched away on Valentine’s Day.
"We took that moment... and now its about mobilizing and organizing every single day,” Charlie Mirsky said.
Millions of people all over the country protested for weeks after the shooting to demand change.
In D.C., there were town halls, school walkouts, voter registration drives, and the student-led ‘March for Our Lives’ near the national mall.
According to the Giffords Law Center, 26 states and the District put nearly 70 new gun laws in place last year.
That is triple the number from the year before.
Maryland and D.C. both passed a law on bump stocks and a so-called red flag law that allows loved ones to petition the courts to take guns away from people who are considered high-risk.
Maryland also got tougher on concealed carry regulations and closed a loophole that allowed convicted domestic violence offenders to have guns.
Maryland also dedicated funding to urban violence reduction programs while D.C. lawmakers increased penalties for possessing large-capacity magazines.
In Virginia, a law was approved to add more specific regulations around gun possession and mental health.