Sandy Hook Promise, an organization launched in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, helps protect children from gun violence. The recently issued, two-minute public service announcement powerfully depicts the warning signs of potential shooters.
The PSA thoroughly introduces us to Evan, an average teenage boy, who's searching for a potential relationship as summer nears. We see him express his feelings onto his school library's desk, writing the words "I am bored." He surprisingly finds a response from an anonymous person the next day, and they soon exchange flirtatious messages to one another back and forth.
As Evan's search for his mysterious admirer falls short, we learn it is his last day of high school. While signing a friends yearbook, her friend recognizes Evan's handwriting, and reveals herself as the mystery girl.
As they formally introduce, a threatening figure emerges through the door in the background, drops a large bag, and opens up a rifle. Students instantly yell and run in panic.
As the PSA fades to black, we're shown an underlying message from the video. Viewers were so focused on Evan's potential romance, we were unaware of a male student showing signs of a planned shooting in the background.
The PSA replays the video, except this time, highlights clips of the male student reading a magazine on guns, views gun videos on youtube, posts images on Instagram holding a gun, and unnoticeably bullied in the school halls.
Like Evan and his fellow classmates, we'd all been completely blindsided from the signs that were deliberately in our face. It's an unfortunate, harsh reality that we are so distracted in our own lives, we do not notice what's happening around us.
The organization sheds light on the ongoing issues of gun violence, and the PSA was an impactful, well done display of the recurring problem.
Hopefully this wakes Americans eyes up, and not only educates us of the warning signs, but empowers us to intervene once aware of them.
