7,000 Pairs of Shoes Laid on the Capitol Lawn to Represent Children Killed by Gun Violence

Activists placed thousands of pairs of shoes on the lawn outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Tuesday to memorialize children killed by gun violence.

The demonstration was planned by international advocacy group Avaaz to represent the number of children killed by guns since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, CBS News reports.

The demonstration was based on research by the American Academy of Pediatrics that found that 1,300 children die from gun shot wounds in the U.S. annually, or about three daily. Thus the display featured 7,000 pairs of shoes.

The protestors assembled the empty shoes on the southeast lawn from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in an effort to push Congress for gun reform.

The tribute follows nationwide outcry over the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last month, where former student Nikolas Cruz, 19, killed 17 people with an AR-15 assault rifle. The Parkland shooting was the 18th school shooting of the year.

“Ahead of the March for our Lives, this monument is bringing the heartbreak of gun violence directly to Congress’ doorstep,” Avaaz wrote in a statement.

On Wednesday, a national school walk out is planned to raise awareness about issues of school safety and the impact of gun violence O.n March 24, protestors will march on Washington for the March For Our Lives rally, organized by survivors of the Florida shooting.