25 years since the Thurston High School shooting, Oregon laws are now reinforcing gun safety more than ever.

Max Hopkins, Summer Taylor, Luciano Cantoran, George Leahy

      When the crackle of the intercom rings throughout the halls, it feels as if time stops. The pit in your stomach tightens and your anxiety starts to well up, wondering what’s about to be said. This is the anxiety that every student feels until they hear the relieving words of the secretary reminding the school about track sign ups. 

     It is a constant fear within students throughout the United States, that one day their school will be another number added to the growing demographic of school shootings. The constant recurring question is, how can this be prevented? 

     In 1999, a devastating shooting occurred at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. There were four casualties, two at the school itself. Fifteen year old Kip Kinkle had many psychological problems; ones that lead to him killing his own parents and bringing a 9x19mm Glock to school. In an article written by Jessica Schulberg, Kinkle stated his regret for what he did, “I had tremendous, tremendous guilt”. 

     Ever since, Oregon has passed multiple gun laws and regulations to improve and ensure the safety of gun ownership and others. Local officer of the Canby Police department, Greg Larrison, shared “Everything is always evolving, always updating.”

To follow up on how things are changing, in recent weeks Oregon has been working on a regulation to keep body cameras on police officers at all times. Many police at the station see this as a form of protection for themselves and others, Larrison mentioned. This will effectively help at crime scenes and show the truth of what goes down between an officer and the perpetrator. 

     At the Canby Police Department, Larrison said they will be receiving their body cams within 15 weeks and start working on protocols to follow if measure 114 gets passed, but a date is not specified. 

    Larrison, in talking about his training, also explained that every time a gun law changes, a new way of police training gets put into place. Every police officer must get the required new training, no matter the amount of time they have been working.  

      Measure 114 is a law enacting the changes to firearm ownership and purchase 

requirements. On November 8, 2022, an Oregon state initiative was approved. 50.65 percent of Oregonians voted yes for a gun law regulation. This law will require all buyers to equip themselves with a permit and get a background check before purchasing their firearm. 

      The police at the station do not know much about Measure 114 effects on gun use, but may limit the use of illegal possession of firearms, therefore less criminal activity. 

     Canby has been involved with two incidents involving school shootings and threats. Both of which were prevented by students. 

     The first situation occurred when a student at Canby High approached Officer Larrison, and told him that there was another student planning to bring a firearm to school. Larrison was able to track the student down as he was receiving the handgun from a man who owned the firearm, and took him into custody.

      The second was a similar incident. A student had come to the school officer to inform that another planned on bringing a gun to school. However, that student never went through with his plan, but was still taken into custody.

     It was also mentioned that most shootings usually don’t happen with just a random person. It is usually someone with a record, someone who shouldn’t have the right to own a gun in the first place. Felons are the most likely to be the ones causing these tragedies, but not always.

     “There is a time and place, and you never know when that will be,” Larrison said, “All it takes is one call and you could be making the biggest choice of your life.” 

     Each time a new incident happens, people are riddled with fear. Every parent starts searching for ways to protect their children and keep guns out of the hands of incapable people. 

     On average, each mass shooting in America leads to an increase of gun policy by 15% and each additional death stacks another 2.3 percent on top of that. According to an article from Harvard Business School, from the years 1990 through 2014, 20,409 firearm bills were proposed and 3,199 were successfully turned into laws. As more gun laws passed, more deaths were prevented and from 1993 to 2011, firearm violence dropped 9 percent. 

        There are ways to get around ownership of firearms. Larrison briefly mentioned that if a father owns a gun and gifts it to his son, that is legal. Handling firearms with immediate family is common, but if someone who married into the family gains possession and gifts it to their immediate family, it can get into the wrong hands easily; even if considered legal. 

       For an unstable, violent, or mentally ill person to have access to a firearm, it can cause huge fatalities.

     One way Oregon and other states can change these problems is by requiring people who own and pass down guns to have a background check and license on all owners. By limiting the availability of weapons to felons or criminals, schools will be able to conduct a safer environment for everyone.

      There are more than enough reasons and proof throughout history and these days that prove something needs to change and be done. Not only for the safety of kids in schools, but even the lives of teachers, parents and the external and internal trauma that comes with encountering shootings. After countless new police training, and new gun laws being passed, criminals and felons are still a huge threat to schools around the nation. 

     Something needs to change, and only citizens have enough power to help.

Photo credits to Pixabay