Leaders of dozens of Georgia’s well known and prestigious private schools are imploring legislators to enact “common-sense gun laws” to prevent future school shootings.

The public letter, signed by 47 independent school leaders, including some in Atlanta, calls on the nation’s leaders to take action now.

Hundreds of students are planning to walk out in protest on March 14.

Bill Garrett, president of Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, said he signed the letter because students need to be in a safe environment. “The nation has to do something about the gun violence, and part of it is dealing with the supply issue. It is not something we as an individual can do. It is something that our legislators have to do, and the fact that they have been unwilling to do it is just deplorable,” he said.

You can read what motivated these leaders and what else they said in myAJC.com.

You can also read a story about student leaders across metro Atlanta who are coordinating walkouts of classes on March 14.

MYAJC.COM: REAL JOURNALISM. REAL LOCAL IMPACT.

The AJC's Vanessa McCray keeps you updated on the latest happenings in the Atlanta Public Schools system. You'll find more on myAJC.com, including these stories:

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