Campaign

DeVos leads CPAC in moment of silence for Florida shooting victims

by Ben Kamisar - 02/22/18 2:56 PM ET

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos led the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday in a moment of silence for those killed in last week’s shooting at a Florida high school.

“Could we have a moment of silence in honor of and in memory of the students and the teachers and all the families impacted in Parkland, Fla.?” DeVos said after she took the stage.

{mosads}Pictures of the shooting’s victims were shown on the projection screens flanking the stage as audience members stood to show respect.

Gun rights has been a major issue at the annual conservative gathering this year, given the national conversation about gun control following the latest mass shooting.

Speakers at CPAC, including two officials from the National Rifle Association (NRA), have defended gun rights and spoken against further restrictions on guns.

NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch and its top executive, Wayne LaPierre, took the first two solo spots on the stage Thursday, where they declared their intention to go on the offensive against those who want to enact more gun laws.

Tags Betsy DeVos Betsy DeVos Florida shooting Gun control Gun rights National Rifle Association NRA