I still remember sitting in my 9th-grade history class while watching history occur in front of me on television. It was a cold December day when 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he ended up killing 20 first-graders and six teachers, after killing his own mother. He later killed himself. It was not only the third deadliest shooting done by one person in American history but the deadliest grade or high school shooting in our nation's history as well.
It seemed that a tragedy as big as this one brought the nation together that I hadn't ever remembered. Regardless of age, race, gender, or political affiliation, everyone knew that something had to be done: some blamed gun control, some blamed mental health, while I fell directly in the middle. Eventually, laws were passed and things changed.
For a while, everything seemed calm in regards to these types of events happening in our nation. I honestly was starting to think the battle on gun control and violence was slowly starting to die and I wouldn't ever have to hear anything that tragic ever again. However, that recently changed.
On September 28th, just 17 days after a shooting in Texas, a 14-year-old boy killed his father in cold blood, then walked into a local elementary school where he shot two students and a teacher in Townville, North Carolina. Both boys, age 6, luckily survived, as well as the teacher, though one boy was critically injured by the bullet.
One of the boys, Jacob Hall, reportedly has died after being shot in his femoral artery. He required a lot of extensive surgery all over his body. A GoFundMe has been set up to help his family pay for his extensive medical bills and funeral.
Though the shooting at Townville Elementary might be the last one covered by the media since Sandy Hook, almost 200 school shootings have occurred since. According to everytownresearch.com, that means approximately a student has a gun and actively uses it at a school nearly weekly for the last four years.
Right after the news broke of this tragedy occurring, people were instantaneously calling for thoughts and prayers to be sent to all of the families of the victims, especially Jacob. Normally, I would be right along with them, but some other things really got me thinking. What is best to do for the victims and families during times like these?
Honestly, I don't know. Luckily, I grew up in a town where there was very little to no gun violence. There is no way I would ever even know.
But what the best option, I think, is is to make it a bigger conversation. Not about taking any guns or anyone's Constitutional rights, but the taking or attempt to take lives. Especially such young lives. In my honest opinion, that's the only thing to do.
