In the last four years, the number of school shootings has skyrocketed. When we look at the numbers, we can see that this epidemic started to grow in 2016. That year there were fifty-one school shootings, according to CNN.
After that though, the numbers substantially dropped, reaching the low number of 22 in 2020. This number could be partially attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, when children weren’t in school, so the risk was lowered.
After Covid though, the amount of shootings spiked, practically tripling, reaching 73 shootings in 2021. Since then this has been an ongoing, relentless issue.
So far in 2024 there have been 50 school shootings, and 30 of those have resulted in deaths or injuries.
These statistics are terrifying, especially considering that most politicians are doing nothing to help regulate gun use, claiming that our Second Amendment right to bear arms is more important than our youth practically being hunted in spaces that are supposed to be safe for them.
While it is important to uphold our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, modern times need modern solutions. Clinging on to a time past, where frequent school shootings were not an issue, does nothing to help solve the situation at hand.
In only the first three days of school, Hellgate had a lockdown. Just two days after, on Sept. 4, a school in Georgia was shot up. The Georgia shooting resulted in four deaths, two students and two teachers.
When will the deaths of innocent citizens be enough to push congress to action?
If we total up the number of school shootings in just the past four years, it adds up to 189 shootings. Almost 200 shootings in the last four years and Congress continues to ignore it.
As a society, education is something that we prioritize. Getting into college, having a successful career, living a full life, etc…
How can we expect students to focus on doing their best when the constant threat of a school shooting hangs over their heads? How can we expect the mental health crisis our country is going through to get any better when every week more and more deaths are tallying up, and nobody knows who’s next?
Guns are the leading cause of death for teens and elementary aged children in the US. Since the first major shooting in 1999 at Columbine High, 338,000 children have experienced gun violence inside schools. For a first world country, we sure are losing a lot of lifes to preventable causes.
If we continue to ignore this rising issue, the US could very well expect a future where even schools aren’t safe anymore, and learning becomes second place to staying alive.
