The Effects of School Shootings in the US
By: Chyra Davis
On November 14, 2019, Santa Clarita had a school shooting where two students were killed and three others were injured. Authorities say Nathaniel Berhow carried out the violence at the Santa Clarita campus on his 16th birthday after being dropped off at school by his mother. School surveillance video reviewed by law enforcement shows a boy pulling a pistol from his backpack and opening fire in the quad, killing a 15-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy and wounding three others in an attack that lasted 16 seconds. At one point during the gunfire, the weapon jammed and the shooter cleared the firearm before he continued firing. He appeared to know how many shots he had fired and left the final round for himself, ending the attack with a gunshot to his head, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The teen died of that wound Friday afternoon. Authorities said his mother was with him at the hospital. Investigators think the attack was planned but said they do not suspect specific students were targeted. “He seemed very familiar with firing the weapon,” Villanueva said. He added that the shooting was not a “spur of the moment act,” but officials have not determined a motive.
Thousands of people gathered Sunday, November 17th, at a city park to hold a candlelight vigil to remember the victims. The event lasted almost two hours and was held in the park that students evacuated after the shooting, reports CBS Los Angeles. A wounded 14-year-old girl was released from the hospital late Friday. A 15-year-old girl remained hospitalized in good condition. A 14-year-old boy was treated and released Thursday.
In 2019, there have been 45 school shootings in American alone and there have been 6 mass shootings in Philadelphia. These shootings have led to too many innocent lives lost, but these victims also leave behind families. What effects does this have on survivors? I wanted about what it would be like for my family if this kind of tragedy happened to me or one my siblings so I interviewed my dad.
Me: Okay dad so let’s say my school had an accident and someone came in with a gun and you got a call from the school that’s telling you what happened how would you feel?
Dad: I would feel scared out of my mind.. y’all the only ones I got and I don’t want to lose any of my babies
Me: do you think you would have called anyone?
Dad: no because I would be the one going to school and standing out there or in my car to know that I’m here for you
Me: from other school shootings around the world and the families that lost loved ones, as a parent, how do you think this would affect them?
Dad: as parents we don’t want nothing at all to happen to our kids.. and see or see what happened to other kids I know that these parents are shook up and don’t know what to do with themselves.
Families all over the world are still heart broken on what happen. Families are making it hard on themselves and I know everyone could understand because in one point in life some people lost their loves ones too. It crazy how you could be talking to someone one minute and they next minute they are gone.