(CNN) A group of teens and more than a hundred supporters staged a "lie-in" outside the White House on Presidents Day to pressure lawmakers to pass tougher gun laws.

The group, dubbed Teens for Gun Reform, had started organizing the event by seeking 17 demonstrators to lie down for three minutes to symbolize how long it took for Nikolas Cruz to gun down 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last week.

"The two of us have organized this protest in solidarity with all of those who were affected by the tragic school shooting in Florida last week," Eleanor Nuechterlein and Whitney Bowen, the teen organizers, said in a statement. "We call on our national and state legislatures to finally act responsibly and reduce the number of these tragic incidents. It's essential that we all feel safe in our classrooms."

Initially, they hoped to have 17 of their closest friends attend the demonstration. But word of the event spread on social media, and it ultimately drew more than a hundred supporters.

Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat and a proponent of gun control, was among those who attended the event.

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