CHAPEL HILL - At Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, dozens of protesters stretched out under Wednesday's midday sun to bring attention to what they think are lax gun laws. It was the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings, in which 32 students and professors were killed by a mentally ill gunman whose suicide ended the carnage. About 80 such protests were held in 33 states across the nation.

About 40 protesters lay still at the bottom of the steps of Duke Chapel. At UNC-CH, the 60 or so participants reclined on the grass on Polk Place.

Participants lay prone for three minutes, which is about how long it takes for a licensed gun dealer to run a computerized background check on someone buying a gun.

The "lie-ins" were intended to involve 32 participants -- one for each Virginia Tech victim. At Duke, organizer Marcia Owen said Wednesday her intent was to actually have 33 participants, an acknowledgement that the shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, a mentally unstable Virginia Tech student, killed himself as well.

"We often forget the hidden tragedy of suicide," Owen said.

In Chapel Hill, organizer Rachel Smith also acknowledged the recent violent deaths of students at three Triangle campuses. She read aloud the names of those killed at Virginia Tech as well as local gunshot victims Denita Smith, a student at N.C. Central University; Abjihit Mahato, a graduate student at Duke University; and Eve Carson, UNC-CH student body president.

"We have our own very poignant and very real sense of grief and sorrow and anger as a result of the murder of one of our own," UNC-CH Chancellor James Moeser said. Moeser spoke at the event but did not lie down.