Thursday marked one year since a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, killed 17 people.

Students lit a candle in memory memory of each of the victims, talked about their lives and stressed that action must be taken.

"Parkland represented such a tragic event, yet it represented such a groundswell of change of students getting involved and it really motivated me to find my voice as an advocate to prevent more innocent people and students dying from senseless gun violence," said activist Abe Baker-Butler.

The students joined hundreds of thousands of others who have staged school walkouts, started organizations and who have made gun violence prevention their life's mission.