Watch: Vigil against gun violence set for Cedar Rapids at Greene Square

CEDAR RAPIDS - Leslie Hess of Cedar Rapids said she never will forget what it was like to run for her life last Oct. 1 in Las Vegas.

She also said her heart now 'shatters” for those at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., who experienced the same terror last week when a shooter killed 17 people.

'These young kids now know what it is like to run for your life,” Hess told the crowd gathered Sunday in Greene Square. 'You have no idea what that is like until you have to do it.”

Hess shared her story at the Vigil to End Gun Violence, an event organized by local gun-safety activists in partnership with organizations such as Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

'We must reclaim the power of our vote from special interests who block measures to prevent gun violence,” organizers said in a news release.

'We just needed to do something,” said Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven of Cedar Rapids, one of the event organizers.

'It started with the Facebook event and as the days passed the interest grew, and we decided to add speakers who would help us with our mission.”

Among the speakers at the event were Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids; Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Hiawatha; Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker; and Brad Buck, superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

'(Educators) are hurting and they are scared, but they will go to school on Monday morning, and they will teach our children and they will love our children,” Iowa State Education Association President Tammy Wawro said. 'They shouldn't have to die for our children.”