Parkland shooting: Battle over Florida gun laws continues eight years after 17 killed

PARKLAND, Fla. - Saturday marks eight years since the Parkland shooting, which left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. 

What we know:

Since then, Florida has beefed up school security and changed gun laws, but some of the family members of the victims are still deep in fights over proposed changes. That includes the father of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg, who was killed in the deadly school shooting on Valentine's Day in 2018. 

READ: Parkland survivors at FSU relive trauma after latest campus shooting

He's fighting for the state to close what he sees as a loophole to gun laws. "Jaime's Law" would require background checks on all who buy ammunition. 

Those who are prohibited from owning guns can't legally buy bullets, but checks aren't required.

"It's the simplest, most sensible thing I can recommend after years and years and years of working on this is why not extend background checks to ammunition?" said Fred Guttenberg during a press conference on Friday.

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The other side:

Right now, Florida Republicans in at least one chamber are eager to expand access to guns. Late last year, House Republicans overwhelmingly passed a rollback of the post-Parkland rule that raised the age to buy a gun to 21. 

The house wants it to be 18 again.

"Freedom and security always have friction between the two. I happen to believe, in terms of a policy question, I want to err on the side of individual freedom," State Rep. Travis Sirois (R-Merritt Island), said.

However, the senate has not taken up the bill to lower the age any of the four times the house has passed it. 

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What they're saying:

Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa was killed during the Parkland shooting, is now a school board member in Boward County, and insists on keeping the gun age at 21,

"What we have done with the Marjorie Stonemann Douglas Act is working," said Alhadeff. "It is saving lives."

She also applauds other policy changes made after Parkland. She successfully lobbied for teachers to have panic buttons. 

She also applauded requirements that doors be locked, police be present at all schools and for safety drills to be done. Florida also pushed mental health training and red flag laws have kept guns from 19,000 people deemed to be dangerous.

"We are working hard to save your children," said Alhadeff, "to save your grandchildren."