Dozens of people turned out Saturday afternoon in Brunswick for a unity march against gun violence.

“When I heard what happened, I just knew I had to do something,” said Kelly Lynch of Harpswell, who organized the march. “I just wanted everybody to be able to come together and feel empowered and feel safe.”

The event was quickly pulled together after a shocking school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Wednesday. Police say a former student, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, entered the school and opened fire, killing 17 people, according to the Associated Press.

In the days following, there were local scares as well.

On Friday, Woodside Elementary School in Topsham was evacuated due to a bomb threat, though a Maine State Police bomb squad found no evidence of a bomb at the school.

Also on Friday, Bath Middle School implemented lockdown procedures while police increased their presence at the school. That occurred after a student believed they learned of a threat on social media. It was later learned that the threat was actually the same one that caused Topsham’s Mt. Ararat High School to close Thursday. Administrators at Maine School Administrative District 75, which includes Mt. Ararat, said that there was no credible threat.

In light of those events and similar incidents around the state, Lynch decided to act. On Friday she set up a Facebook event, calling for a Topsham-Brunswick unity march to express solidarity and “show that we are not afraid.”

“More than anything else, I just want people to be able to come together as a community and see that there’s power within that and we can do things,” said Lynch. “I think people feel powerless as individuals, but that’s just not true.”

Despite taking place less than 24 hours after it was announced, dozens of people showed up for the march, many carrying signs opposing gun violence.

“I posted the event at 1 o’clock yesterday. It just means the world to me. It’s absolutely insane,” said Lynch. “I had no idea that this many people would be interested or show up or anything.”

Participants of all ages marched from Fort Andross, down Maine Street to the Brunswick Mall.

Many of those who marched carried signs calling for action to end gun violence. Joan Peck of Brunswick laid the blame on those in Congress who have failed to stymie gun violence in the years since the Sandy Hook shooting.

“They are just lacking any moral courage, any of them, if they allow this to happen. No other country in the world is like this. None,” she said. “The NRA is the ruling party in this country. We have to put our foot down.”

“This is not about mental illness. This is about guns. It’s as plain as the nose on your face, and it’s all about money and lobbying and hypocrisy and greed,” added Mike Rosenzweig of Brunswick. “We have to vote all these people out.”

nstrout@timesrecord.com