Starting at 10 a.m. the City of Fort Lauderdale will be holding a special memorial ceremony at Esplanade Park followed by a moment of silence at 10:17 a.m., a symbolic time chosen to honor the 17 lives lost.

School district held their own remembrance ceremonies on Friday and students at several schools across Broward County took a moment to stand in silence, as they remembered the victims.

Superintendent Robert Runcie also encouraged students fighting for change to engage in service projects, including a supply drive that was held for first responders at South Broward High School.

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PARKLAND, FLORIDA – Sunday, Valentine’s Day, marks the three year anniversary of the Parkland High School mass shooting that left 17 dead.

Survivors and family members of those killed met with lawmakers in Tallahassee this week to advocate for tougher gun laws to be passed in the 2021 legislative session.
But early indications are that Florida lawmakers will do just the opposite.

Manuel Oliver’s son Joaquin was one of the 17 killed in the Valentine’s Day mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I lost my son and best friend,” said Oliver. And, three years later, Oliver is still waiting for legislators the strengthen gun laws.

“We didn’t do it after Orlando. We didn’t do it after Vegas. We didn’t do it after Parkland,” said Oliver.

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith began his legislative push to ban assault-style weapons five years ago when 49 were murdered in the mass shooting at Pulse Night Club.

“To make sure that military-grade weapons don’t fall into the hands of civilians,” said Smith.

In the five years it’s been filed, the bill has never gotten a single hearing, and the prospect is unlikely this year as well. In fact, lawmakers seem more inclined to loosen some gun laws.

For example, State Senator Dennis Baxley is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow for Floridians to carry concealed firearms in places of worship