STATE senators in Florida have passed a Bill that allows teachers to carry guns in school and imposes some weak restrictions on the sale of military-style rifles.

The law, passed late yesterday, increased the minimum age for buying rifles from 18 to 21 and created a waiting period on sales of the weapons.

It does not nearly approach the restrictions on firearms wanted by survivors and families of the victims of the February 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Students travelled to the state capitol to demand far wider-reaching changes to stop the frequent killing of children in schools.

Senator Bill Galvano insisted the Bill’s provisions were validated by criticism from both people who want unrestricted access to deadly weapons and those who want to stem the flood of US gun murders.

A grand jury began hearing evidence today against Nikolas Cruz, who is accused of killing 17 children and teachers at the school and injuring more than a dozen others.

A grand jury is an antiquated legal proceeding through which criminal charges are brought in the US.