GUYTON — They made a statement but it wasn’t a political one.

On March 14, middle and high school students in Effingham County schools paid tribute to the 17 people killed during a Valentines Day shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. There was no mass walkout like occurred at schools in numerous cities across the nation.

Many of the students wore black as a sign of respect and all had the chance to view a video message from Stoneman Douglas Principal Ty Thompson.

Dr. Mark Winters, principal at South Effingham High School, urged his students to watch the video.

In a morning intercom message, he said, “Before showing the video, though, I’d like to say that today — even though it was proclaimed a general walkout — the general walkout has been staged as a political statement, a statement about guns, a statement about the NRA, a statement about the Second Amendment. We are not making political statements today. Rather, we are showing respect and reverence to the 17 students and staff members who were shot and killed at Stoneman Douglas High School.”

Winters, who also asked for a moment of silence, warned his students that there would be consequences if they left their class.

Billy Hughes, principal at Effingham County High School, said each school in the county handled the observance similarly, although he didn’t issue a warning about walking out because that matter had been addressed previously, he said.

In his two-minute video message, Thompson thanked the world for its outpouring of support.

“Our community is strong. Our community is strong. We will persevere in these trying times,” he said.