Banding together in their shared grief, the families of the slain Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims launched a new group, Stand With Parkland, to stop the possibility of another mass shooting at a school.

Sixteen of the 17 families who lost loved ones have joined for a comprehensive, bipartisan approach addressing school safety, mental health support and gun ownership. The group launched Thursday and is moving forward with all but one family as it awaits a response from relatives of Martin Duque, a freshman student killed during the Feb. 14 massacre.

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — The families of students and faculty killed in a mass Florida school shooting formed a bipartisan organization to address school safety, mental health and gun ownership.

The group Stand With Parkland launched Thursday, seeking donations and members nationwide.

PARKLAND, FLORIDA – The parents and spouses arrive alone and in pairs. On a scorchingly hot morning in June, they park their cars outside the clubhouse in a pristine subdivision and make their way inside to the “Teen Room.” If any of them notice the grim relevance of this meeting space’s name, no one says so. They wear colorful wristbands and greet one another with a hug but know better than to ask “How are you?” or “How’s it going?” Instead, they say, “How are you doing today?” or “How are you doing right now?”

Washington (CNN) A group of Parkland families is banding together to encourage compromise and conversation in addressing gun violence in US schools.

The families, all of whom lost loved ones in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, on Thursday publicly launched an advocacy group called Stand with Parkland.

WASHINGTON – The Florida families who lost children and spouses in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day want to have a civil conversation with America about making schools safer.

Sixteen parents and other relatives of the 17 students and teachers killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre launched a national organization Thursday with the goal of turning their tragedy into a movement to champion bipartisan school safety measures.

“We really wished we didn’t have to do this. Any of these families involved would give anything to be able to go and turn the clock back. … We know this is a long haul. There’s no quick solution. We understand that it’s going to take all Americans to come together to try and solve the uniquely American problem. ” — Tony Montalto, who lost his daughter, Gina, told Axios