What was the walkout at Puyallup High School about Friday? Here’s what we know
Many Puyallup High School students walked out of their classes Friday morning to protest gun violence.
The Puyallup School District confirmed in an email to The News Tribune that “over 100” students participated. The walkout was from 10 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. in Pioneer Park.
According to a post about the walkout that circulated on social media, the intent of the demonstration was to bring attention to gun violence in Pierce County. The walkout was 77 minutes long because that is how long the 2022 Uvalde shooting lasted, the post said.
“Gun violence and school shootings have become all too common in America, as the next generation of adults we urge you to speak up, to say that gun violence, especially in the form of school shootings, will absolutely not be tolerated,” the post said.
The post brought up an incident that happened in Pierce County earlier this month, when a 13-year-old boy was taken into custody after he allegedly made threats online. Police reported that there were 23 firearms in his home. He was last enrolled in the Franklin Pierce School District in 2021 but had been homeschooled since then.
“Not only do we want America to take school shootings more seriously, we want our own school to take threats of violence more seriously,” the social media post about the Puyallup High School demonstration said.
Sarah Gillispie, spokesperson for PSD, told The News Tribune in an email that the district’s priority during the walkout was safety.
“While the district was aware of the student walkout, it was not a school or district sponsored event. Our primary concern throughout remained the safety and well-being of all students while they were on campus,” Gillispie wrote. “We recognize and support our students’ rights to peacefully voice their concerns on significant issues.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
