School is one of the most dangerous places for children in America. School shootings: you have seen it on the news, heard about it on the radio, read about it in newspapers and magazines, seen social media posts, and heard about it in person. Maybe you have even survived a school shooting, or know someone who has. Maybe you lost someone you cared about in a school shooting. School shootings are becoming increasingly common and deadly in America. In this article, we will not discuss or name the specific shooters and we will not show any graphic photos.
However, there will be some distressing photos of the reactions of survivors. This article will only discuss grade-school shootings, a subsequent article on shootings occurring on college campuses will be published at a later date. With all the media buzz surrounding this disturbing phenomenon, this article was written so you can learn the facts and learn how you can take action to help make our schools safer.
Before we explore the issue, let's get some facts straight.
The stats
Center for Homeland Defense and Security
- Last year, 2018, was a record year for the most injuries and fatalities resulting from school shootings
- There was a total of 24 school shootings where people were injured or killed in 2018
- 2018 saw 35 people (28 students and 7 adults or employees of the school) die as a result of a school shooting
- In 2018, a total of 79 people sustained injuries from gunfire on schools
- To put that number in perspective, only 5 people died from shark attacks last year
- According to Center for Homeland Defense and Security, since 1970, there have been over 1,300 school shootings across the US
- All 50 states have experienced school shootings
- Florida experienced the most school shootings in 2018, with a total of 4, while California and Texas tied for the second-most number of school shootings, each having 3
- The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was the deadliest of 2018, claiming 17 lives
- The youngest suspect was 12, the oldest 29
Sources: Ed Week, Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Forbes, New York Times
Elementary school shootings
Axios
Everybody remembers the Sandy Hook tragedy, which was the deadliest of all K-12 school shootings, claiming the lives of 26, 20 of which were children. From 2013 to present, there have been 16 deadly shootings taking place at elementary schoolsin which the shooter's main goal was to mortally wound others. Nearly 50 people, mostly kids, have been killed in elementary school shootings since 2000.
Sources: Every Town, Washington Post
Middle school shootings
CNN
Middle school shootings are twice as common as elementary school shootings. From 2013 to present, 5 middle school shootings, in which the shooter sought to injure or kill others resulted in death. There have also been several injuries. A total of 60 elementary and middle school students have been killed and the same number wounded, since the year 2000.
Sources: Every Town, Washington Post
High school shootings
PennLive
Columbine was one of the worst high school shootings in history. In 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School replaced Columbine as the deadliest high school shooting. High school shootings occur five times more often than middle school shootings, and from 2013 to present, there have been 28 high school shootings, in which the shooter set out to attack others, and resulted in death. Numerous other high school students have been injured. According to the Washington Post, as of early 2018, 70 people have died and nearly 200 people have been injured in high school shootings. That number is expected to go up, as many more have died since.
Sources: Every Town, Washington Post
What you can do
Protect Our Schools
You can take action! You can call or email your representatives in Congress and Senate at the state level, or even ask to speak with them in person at their office. Be prepared to present statistics (do your research), as well as pose specific questions about what they plan to do to tackle this issue. If you want a change at the national level, contact your US House of Representatives Congressman or Congresswoman or your state Senator. Resources for Floridians are listed below. What you can do right now, is share articles, use snopes.com to check facts, and if you're still in grade school, practice situational awareness. If you see something suspicious, say something to your school resource officer, teacher, or another authority. You can also attend rallies, sign petitions, donate to and vote for political candidates who support policy to end school violence, and advocate for better school mental health resources, budgets for more school resource officers and school counselors/psychologists, and safer gun laws! You can make a difference!
National Government Level:
Florida Senator Marco Rubio: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Florida Senator Rick Scott: https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact_rick
United States House of Representatives (27 from Florida) : https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/FL#representatives
State Government Level:
Florida House of Representatives: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representatives.aspx
Florida Senate: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators
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