I, along with the rest of the country, was angered and heartbroken to hear of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. I watched television coverage for hours after the rampage began, and I am not ashamed to say that tears frequently rolled off my cheeks onto the JSU t-shirt I was wearing. My heartbreak continues to grow stronger for the student body of the school and for the United States in general as more information comes out about the shooting. If you are still wondering why I am so saddened by this tragedy, let me explain.
1. There have been 5 shootings on college campuses since classes began this semester.
That is five shootings since August 26th. Five. Four of them resulted in either victim deaths or the shooter committing suicide. I cannot get over the fact that there have been five shootings on college campuses since my first day at Jacksonville State. There have been a total of 45 shootings at high school and college campuses in 2015 alone.
2. The Umpqua shooter was a student in the class where he took 9 innocent lives.
This guy didn't shoot random people. He killed people that he had been attending classes with. He probably knew many of these people by name, knew some of their backgrounds, maybe even had conversations with these people. I can't speak for what the atmosphere at UCC is like, but I know most of the people in my classes by name and have spoken to most of them at least once or twice outside of class.
3. I am a Christian.
Stacy Boylan, the father of survivor Anastasia Boylan, told CNN that the shooter "ordered students to stand up and asked them if they were Christians". He said that when/if the student answered yes the shooter would tell them, "Good, because you're a Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second." I can't tell you what I would do if I was faced with that question. It terrifies me to think that in the United States in 2015, answering that I am a Christian with a gun pointed to my head could possibly be a reality.
4. I wouldn't know what to do in an active shooter situation.
While I am training to become a volunteer firefighter, I really don't think any type of training can truly prepare you for a situation like this. I don't know if I would panic and have no idea how to protect myself or if I could at least stay relatively calm enough to help myself and those around me. I do know that staying vigilant and ALWAYS watching your surroundings can help keep you aware of what is going on and give you a slight lead at escaping if something does happen.
5. The "It could never happen here" mentality is quickly being replaced with "I hope it never happens here."
Everyone that lives in the Jacksonville area, and most JSU students, are so guilty of this. I bet even the students who attend UCC have thought this too. And no, it could never happen here. Until it does. It's always possible, and we can't keep our noses in the air and not have a plan of action in case it does.
Basically, what this terrible, terrible event has taught me is that our country needs more prayer than it ever has. Our country needs God now more than it ever has. Godspeed to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and my personal prayers are with each one of you.
