Around the kitchen table, the seared memories of May 25 — the day a shooter opened fire at Noblesville West Middle School — tumble out.

"Two nights ago, (her son) came into my room shaking in fear and told me he’s convinced there’s going to be another school shooting and he can’t get it out of his mind," Stephanie Lambert says. "It’s a traumatic experience he will have to live with for the rest of this life. It’s horrible and horrific."

“It’s infuriating” another parent interjects.

“Yes, it’s also infuriating," Lambert says. "I won’t be silent any more because of that."

A third parent, Anita Rogers, adds: “It’s our job to protect our kids and that day none of us could."

The sudden violence at Noblesville West shocked the normally peaceful suburb and the rest of the state last spring. Police say a 13-year-old student used a .22-caliber handgun to shoot teacher Jason Seaman and a fellow student, 13-year-old Ella Whistler. He also carried, according to court documents, a .45-caliber handgun and a knife. Seaman, widely hailed as a hero for tackling the shooter even after he was wounded, has returned to the classroom. Ella is still recovering from her injuries.

Now, nearly four months after the attack, Rogers, Lambert and more than 20 other parents from Noblesville are passionately working to protect not only their children but also students and educators around the state.

Soon after the shooting, the parents formed Noblesville Stands Together to push for state laws that would require gun owners to securely store unused weapons; an expanded Red Flag law to better ensure that people with a mental illness can't buy guns; and universal background checks, including when guns are sold privately.

They've achieved amazing progress in a short time, including a recent two-hour meeting with Gov. Eric Holcomb, State Police Superintendent Doug Carter and state Homeland Security Director Bryan Langley.

“I felt we were heard,” Steve Rogers, one of the group's leaders, says.

Parents also have their discussed their ideas with House Speaker Brian Bosma, incoming Senate leader Rodric Bray and other legislative leaders.

State Sen. Jim Merritt, an Indianapolis Republican, praised the group and told me he plans to introduce legislation in the 2019 session that would require gun owners to properly secure their weapons and to hold accountable owners whose negligence leads to their guns being used in a crime.

Still, the parents say they were deeply disappointed that the governor's school safety report, released last month, did not include steps to promote responsible gun ownership and tougher provisions to stop people with a mental illness from obtaining a gun.

“You can’t untie mental health and guns when it comes to school shootings," Nathan Lambert says.

Nathan Lambert and the other parents stress that they respect Second Amendment rights and that they're not trying to ban certain types of guns.

“We’ve come at it from a very pragmatic rather than an ideological point of view," Lambert says. "We are interested in practical steps that will point to an end to these school shootings. Let’s put our ideological views aside and work together on practical solutions.”

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These parents have taken on the most daunting challenge in U.S. politics and policy. Millions of American recoiled in horror after Sandy Hook and Parkland. We vowed years ago that things had to change after Columbine and Virginia Tech.

Yet nothing has changed. Since the Noblesville West attack in May, at least six other school shootings have left communities across the country reeling. Every day, students and educators continue to enter schools fearful about the potential of violence.

Still, these parents have several factors working in their favor. They live in the largest Republican-dominated county in the state, and they vote. It's not surprising that their voices have attracted attention in the Republican-heavy Statehouse.

Steve Rogers, who worked for the Indiana Democratic Party and in state government, is politically savvy. Two other members (both Republicans) work in government relations in the private sector. The group is bipartisan and includes gun owners. They're not easy to dismiss as partisans or radicals.

They also are disciplined about communicating a moderate, practical message. “Most of the legislators we’ve talked to have suggested they like our approach," Steve Rogers says. "We’re focused on safety and responsible gun ownership. We’re not out to ban guns.”

Moderate should not be mistaken for a lack of determination. Stephanie Lambert, Anita Rogers and other parents speak with a controlled, gripping passion.

“Teachers were the first responders, and that’s infuriating too because that shouldn’t be their job,” Anita Rogers says. “When I showed up to the school I saw a teacher carrying a student on his back and (parent Lindsay Resmer's) daughter was carrying that student’s crutches through the corn field at the corner of the road. Never in a million years did I expect that's the scene I would see at my kid’s school.”

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As others have shared their stories, JD Durst has been largely quiet at one corner of the table. But near the end of the conversation, he speaks up, and his words take everyone back to the heart-rending horror of May 25.

“It was the hardest day of my life," Durst, whose wife teaches at the school, says. They have two children who attend Noblesville West as well.

Durst was in another part of the state, with his son, when the violence erupted. A text message from his wife alerted him to the shooting. Then his daughter sent a message.

But information was frighteningly sparse as he rushed home. "It was the hardest hour and a half drive of my life," he says.

Durst's wife, Kristen, didn't attend the interview. Teachers aren't allowed to say much in public about the shooting. JD Durst, however, spoke up as the husband of an educator.

“We need to remember the voice of teachers," he says. "We are asking teachers to protect our kids and not just to educate our kids. I think there’s a fundamental problem in that, which is why I sit at this table. Teachers now have this fear and responsibility not only to keep themselves safe but first and foremost to keep their students safe. They went to school to be educators; they didn’t go to school to be bodyguards.”

Durst says he now worries about his wife's safety every day she goes to work. The other parents say they share the same fear about their children. The aftermath of May 25 continues to torment many families.

“I’m terrified every day." Stephanie Lambert says. "When my phone dings and my kids are at school, I pick up so fast. And I just hope it’s not what I saw that day: ‘There’s a shooter in my school.' I worry every day they get on the bus. I just pray to God, and I tell them, ‘I can’t protect you from everything. You’re just going to have to pray to God to keep you safe.’''

Her husband Nathan adds: “We tell them we can’t guarantee this won’t happen again. But we can damn well guarantee we will do everything we can..."

Stephanie finishes the thought. “I will do everything in my power."

Any elected leader would be foolish to doubt her.

Contact Swarens at tim.swarens@indystar.com; friend him on Facebook at Tim Swarens; follow him on Twitter @tswarens.