There have been 149 school shootings in America since 2013. Think about that. The United States is a country responsible for nearly one school shooting a week, and nothing has changed to stop it. Whether it is at an elementary school, middle school, high school or college campus, once a week people across the country say their morning goodbyes to their roommates or families, and by the end of the day are mourning the loss of a child, a brother, a sister, a friend or parent. Communities are gathering, schools are experiencing tragedies, and lives are permanently changing.

When did our country become a place that innocent children, students and faculty are being murdered by senseless acts of fatality, regularly? What is happening to America? This controversial topic has raised immense concern, and in some sense of the word, has become an epidemic. In the past week there have been two shootings on college campuses, both on the same day.

On Friday, Oct 9th, a confrontation between Northern Arizona University students led to a fatal shooting, killing one and injuring three. NAU freshman Steven Jones, 18, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault. Jones’ bail was set at $2 million.

Investigators say the fight broke out early Friday morning and eventually caused Jones to run to his car and pick up a handgun. According to CNN.com, University Police Chief Gregory T. Fowler said the victims, all members of the Delta Chi fraternity, had been shot multiple times.

The Flagstaff community gathered at a candlelight vigil on the NAU campus following the shooting. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff stood together, emotions running high, supporting victims Nicholas Prato, Kyle Zientek and Nicholas Piring, remembering their friend and brother Colin Brough.

The same morning, tragedy struck at Texas Southern University. Conflict between two students and three unnamed suspects escalated, causing one of the suspects to shoot the two victims, killing freshman Brent Randall.

Both of these heartbreaking incidents happened only eight days after the shooting at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Chris Harper-Mercer, the deadly shooter, killed himself after a shoot-off with officers. Nine were murdered.

Students never think it will happen to them until it does. As a college student myself, I now walk through campus with the slightest bit of fear in the back of my head, and I know I’m not the only one.

University of Arizona sophomore Corby Williams explained she was walking down the middle of campus with her sister when she heard a sound that resembled a gunshot. “My immediate thought was, ‘Should I lay flat on the ground?’ I didn’t know what to do.” The loud noise was a bike tire popping.

We now live in a world where our initial reaction to natural sounds is trying to figure out where one would be able to hide for safety, fearing the worst is happening. By that, I am disgusted. I am disgusted with the number of lives that have been taken from children, those who were never able to experience the hurdles and satisfactions of growing up. I am disgusted thinking of the amount of teenagers who were never able to go to their first prom because some sick person shot up their classroom. I am disgusted that those who have worked hard to receive a college education, putting in work day in and day out to better their future, will never be able to come face-to-face with the real world and life after college.