What’s Up With School Shootings?

Story by Joslynn Rivera and De’Asya Williams. Photo courtesy of Mane Street Mirror.

How many school shootings do you think there have been in 2024? So far, there have been 385 school shootings across the U.S. One of the more recent school shootings occurred on September 4th at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Many parents fear sending their children to school because they fear for their kids' safety. 

Exposure to violence, like school shootings, can lead to long-term mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This indicates how alarming school shootings are. This increases safety concerns and could lead to stress among students, fearing that something could happen to them if they go to school. This is also not good for students' academic goals, as increased worrying and not wanting to go to school could affect their ability to learn or be present in class.

Why are these school shootings happening? While individuals choose to harm others in a school setting, we know that certain things have caused students to want to hurt others. Some of them are bullying, social isolation, and exposure to violence. Many school shooters have struggled with mental health issues, and this by itself can be one main reason they decide to commit such an act.

What's next? Many measures have been put in place to protect school populations from school shootings, like ensuring that students are practicing lockdown drills, and tightening security at schools. Many schools are also equipped with security officers to ensure safety for the school and those in it. But there are also larger steps that anti-gun violence advocates are taking to stop this situation, like pushing for mental health initiatives in schools by hiring counselors and providing mental health education to students. 

 Joslynn Rivera and De’Asya Williams are 8th grade scholars at Woodridge International Middle School.