Parents and students packed the Georgia State Capitol on Monday to press lawmakers for tighter gun safety rules, as a new statewide poll shows gun violence has become Georgia parents' top concern for their children.
The rally coincided with the start of jury selection in the Apalachee High School shooting case, a timing that organizers and advocates said underscored the urgency they feel this legislative session.
Push for a "switch" ban
Gun safety supporters, including volunteers with Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, urged legislators to act on new restrictions aimed at reducing shootings and keeping modified weapons off the streets, according to WRDW.
Gun safety advocates said the state should focus on preventing weapons from becoming more lethal, especially in public spaces like schools and shopping areas.
A key focus of the day was House Bill 1127, which supporters said would ban "switches," small conversion devices that can turn a standard pistol into a fully automatic weapon.
Advocates displayed examples of firearm modifications and accessories for lawmakers and the public to see, arguing the devices are designed to increase firing speed and raise the risk of mass-casualty violence.
Read more: Ohio Man Fatally Shoots 2 Children Before Taking Own Life in Front of 'Traumatized' Mother
Why parents say it's urgent
Parents' calls for action come as concern about violence rises across the state. In an Emory Center for Child Health Policy statewide poll released Feb. 3, 33% of Georgia parents ranked gun violence among their top three concerns for their child, up from 27% the year before.
The same poll listed education and school quality close behind, with the top concerns "closely grouped," but gun violence worry increasing year over year.
Elected officials at the Capitol offered competing approaches. State Rep. Omari Crawford, a Democrat, argued that while Georgia lawmakers passed a school safety plan last year, the state should also prioritize steps that limit access to dangerous weapons and parts.
Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, a Republican, emphasized investments in school security and law enforcement as the better path, warning against broad limits on lawful gun ownership, Fox5 Atlanta reported.
The rally also unfolded amid a broader fight over gun policy at the Capitol. In January, the Georgia Senate passed a bill that would block local governments from requiring gun owners to lock up guns in cars, a response to a Savannah ordinance aimed at reducing theft and misuse.
Gun safety groups say state lawmakers should move in the opposite direction by expanding measures such as secure storage incentives and other prevention policies.
In February 2025, a House subcommittee advanced a proposal to offer tax incentives for purchasing gun safes or cable locks and for completing firearm safety training, as mothers gathered at the Capitol to support the idea.
National advocates continue to point to Georgia as a state where policy changes could affect outcomes. Everytown Research says that if Georgia had the gun death rate of the "10 states with the strongest gun safety laws," it could save 14,560 lives over the next decade, as per Giffords.
GIFFORDS' most recent annual scorecard also argued that states with stronger gun laws have lower gun death rates, while noting that nearly 47,000 people die from gun violence in the United States each year.
