My thoughts and prayers go out to the families, students, staff and administration of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and its community. My heart goes out to those who lost their loved ones tonight. When I first heard about this, I didn't know what to do or feel. These kids are around the same as age I am. It pains me that in a country as great as America, this is still an issue today. Stay strong Parkland, Florida.

"As (my teacher) was closing the door he was actually shot and killed right there. The door was left open the whole time so as (the shooter) walked by, the door was open. He could have walked in at any time."

Around 2 p.m.,19 year-old Nikolaus Cruz unleashed his wrath on the students and staff of his former high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He wore a gas mask and had several smoke bombs in his possession along with an AR15. Investigators suspect that he pulled the fire alarm to get students to leave their classrooms, resulting in a higher death count. Law enforcement has yet to find out his motive, but many people are pointing fingers to his troublesome past, especially with the disciplinary issues he faced leading to his expulsion. 17 people have been killed, and three are still in critical condition.

The photo below was actually taken by a student, Aidan, who was inside the building during the lockdown.

As the country comes together and prays for the students, staff and families of this Florida high school and community, people are all thinking the same thing. It's another Sandy Hook, another Virginia Tech, another Columbine. It's another Las Vegas, another Orlando Pulse, another Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

When will this insanity stop?

It's all on paper. It's everywhere on the internet. The statistics. The numbers. What other excuses could someone possibly be looking for to avoid gun control? The school shooting in Parkland, Florida was the 18th school shooting of this year. It has now made the list of the top 10 deadliest mass shootings in history. How many more lives need to be taken in order for Congress to create restrictions on guns?

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In the next couple days, more questions will rise.

What was his background?

What religion did he follow?

Did he have any mental illnesses?

How did he get his hands on smoke bombs and gas masks?

And while these questions are necessary to close the case with this current shooting, the answers are simply not enough to solve the issue of gun control. Because that's the real question we need to be asking if this country wants to be able to move forward in any way.

How did he get his hands on a gun?

Yes, there are certain points in this case that we also have to put into perspective. Questions dealing with school security and Cruz's personal life. But it all comes back to the question of "how?"

Another "how" — how was this boy able to walk around school with firearms before he was expelled?

The fact of the matter is, guns create more violence. In order to avoid that violence, there has to be restrictions put into place. In how many situations has someone seen a gun saving a life (if not used in military combat)? Not as many as the amount of situations in which a gun has taken an innocent life.

The Founding Fathers of this great nation created the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) because they feared an army. The thought that with an army in place, the post-Revolutionary War's weak government could be easily overthrown by a coup or rebellion. With the creation of the Second Amendment, it gave states the right to raise their own militias and armies in case their government failed them.

But we are not in that situation anymore. Our government is not weak. We have an army that protects us — an army that we do not fear but salute for everything they have done for us. There is no need for individuals to carry around firearms. If they can ban firearms on airplanes, then why not on land? What makes it any different? Firearms are a threat to everyone everywhere.

I know it would difficult trying to ban firearms all at once, but we need to start somewhere. We need to put laws in place. We need restrictions. Because if we don't, if we keep avoiding it and blaming it on something else, Parkland will be just one of many mass shootings that will take place in the future.