Parkland school shooting survivors join St. Sabina peace march

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Survivors of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting joined students from the West and South sides of Chicago Friday for a rally and march for peace outside St. Sabina Church.

The event brought together celebrities like Jennifer Hudson, Will I Am and Chance the Rapper, students and young activists from Chicago, and students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School.

The crowd of hundreds in the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood chanted "Enough is enough!"

"It's bigger, better," said Antionette Mitchell, whose son was murdered. "We are trying continuously trying to bring attention to senseless gun violence."

Students with various peace organizations, including the young activists from Parkland, were part of the event.

"The biggest flutter in my heart is to see all the young people from all over, all walks of life. I teach in the suburbs, little kids. It's hard to explain to an 8-year-old why these bad things are happening," said Mary Dolan, teacher.

And the young people showed up with a purpose.

"When I was a student in the '50s and '60s, we never would have dreamed of being afraid of walking into our grade, middle or high school," said Steve Niems of Park Rdige.

In Auburn Gresham neighborhood, children being shot and killed has become all too common.

"This keeps me focused. This keeps hope. That's what this does for me," Mitchell said.

The Parkland survivors breathed new life into the cause, and the event served as a kickoff to their nationwide Road to Change tour.

"I think there's a different movement in Chicago. Young people are impatient, unfiltered. One message I keep hearing over and over again: 'We'll out live you.' They're determined to make our children safe," said Father Michael Pfleger, Saint Sabina Church.

Chicago superstars also threw their weight in. Jennifer Hudson knows the pain of gun violence personally.

"My mother always taught us you take care of home first," she said. "Stay positive, there's so much more to life than the block you live on."

And as they'll do every Friday night for the rest of the summer, they marched.

An anti-violence installation on display, commissioned by a local advertising agency, looks like a bike share station, but uses mock guns instead of bicycles.

A father grieving his son after the Parkland school shooting will also create a mural.