March For Our Lives rallies held across north Texas

Thousands of gun reform advocates gathered in demonstrations across 400 cities nationwide demanding an end to gun violence.

The "March for Our Lives," movement, organized by students, calls for stricter gun control measures following recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. 

Here in north Texas, crowds rallied in Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, and Rowlett. 

Those attending want assault rifles banned, universal background checks, and red flag laws. 

Teenagers on the Tarrant County courthouse steps took to the mic urging the audience to contact republican lawmakers and add pressure. "We must keep taking steps and being courageous," one teen said. 

"There are smart laws that can be put in place to help curb this violence, and it's frustrating when our officials are not doing anything," Caitlin Mccown, of Dallas, said.

Gun safety reform legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week, raising the minimum age to purchase most semi-automatic rifles to 21 and banning high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The legislation remains stalled in the Senate, which is debating more modest reforms. The lead republican negotiator is senator John Cornyn of Texas. 

The bi-partisan deal, which was expected by the end of this week included funding for mental health and incentivizes states to pass red flag laws. 

"I think we are at a very interesting moment in which the republicans fear that there is momentum behind some actual changes to gun laws and they are trying to play for time to let that momentum dissipate, while democrats are trying to build off that momentum and get what they consider to be significant changes to gun laws" Cal Jillson, an SMU political analyst, said.