Today in America, from 2013 to the present day there have been 1343 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 440 deaths, and 951 injuries nationally. With how common school shootings have been made in the U.S., most people are not shocked whenever they hear about a new school shooting.
“School shootings I feel have become a common thing to happen in America, and it becomes less shocking every time and it’s sad but it’s the truth as well,” sophomore Natalia Rivera said.
A recent school shooting that occurred was at Apalachee High School organized by Colt Gray, a 14-year-old who was recently enrolled in the school. On the morning of Sept. 4, 2024, he rode to school on the bus with a rifle and knife hidden in his backpack. Later that day Colt carried out the shooting resulting in four deaths that included two students, two teachers, and two others injured.
“I remember as a kid hearing about those stories at school, and having to watch those informational videos. We usually had to do those practice lockdown drills, and I would always be scared if it were a real one or not.” sophomore Ryan Staschiak said.
One of the worst School Shootings to this day occurred on December 14, 2012 known as the “Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.” Sandy Hook Elementary was a school in Newton, Connecticut. Locals described the town as “the safest place in America”, and “ a scenic small town.” On December 14, 2012 a 20-year-old male Adam Lanza, after murdering his mother at their home, went into the school and fired one hundred and fifty-four bullets in less than five minutes killing twenty first-graders and six educators. Since then the school was demolished, and a nonprofit organization known as “Sandy Hook Promise” was created by relatives of victims from that day to honor the victims, and the movement to stop school shootings, prevent gun violence, and create safer schools, homes, and communities.
“People tend to make fake threats involving guns to the schools and find it funny. It’s scary to not know when something is real or fake,” freshman Addison Brown said.
Today in America, there have been at least 50 school shootings so far this year. 13 were on college campuses, and 37 on K-12 school grounds. These incidents have left 24 people dead, and at least 66 other victims injured. School shootings have become a normal occurrence, in America which needs to stop. Organizations such as Sandy Hook Promise is an organization preventing gun violence. Your voice matters, will you use it?
