On Friday, seven schools in Wake County, including six high schools and NC State University, participated in the nationwide Students Demand Action effort. Other schools in and around Wake County include Cary High School, Wake Technical Community College RTP Campus, Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnology, Heritage High School and Orange High School.
They're calling for stricter gun control measures in NC and nationwide following last week's deadly school shooting in Minneapolis.
Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies students say they just want to feel safe when they go to school.
Evan Geyer says mass shootings have become too normalized.
"It always is, 'It's what happens. It's a part of life.' This is not a part of life," he said. "This is not normal. We know that you hear this time and time again in other countries. This thing does not happen."
Wake Early College Rahul Murgai says students just want to feel safe in the classroom.
"School is where we learn. It's where we become better. It should not be a place where we worry for our safety," he said. "It should be a place where we come together as a community and make people's lives better."
Chopper 11 was over Enloe High School and Cary High School when students there also walked out of their classes.
Cary High School students held up signs saying, "This is not normal".
Cary High Senior Nicolas Ponce says he hopes elected leaders will take action to make their schools safer.
"This is something that really needs to be addressed," he said. "And every day, people are sometimes scared to go to school, and something needs to happen."
So far in 2025, there have been at least 91 incidents of gunfire on school grounds nationwide, resulting in 31 deaths and 86 injuries. Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children and teens across the country.
Governor Josh Stein vetoed Senate Bill 50 which would allow North Carolinians over the age of 18 to carry guns without a concealed carry permit. The legislation would have repealed the training rules and background checks currently required to get a concealed carry permit and lower the age for carrying a concealed pistol to 18.
SEE ALSO: School safety concerns surface in NC, community reacts after Minneapolis mass shooting