The Kent State shootings took place when I was in 8th grade, in the middle of Florida's messed-up desegregation school year. But as (then) junior high school students, it wasn't anything to worry about.
But the children who attend school in the United States in this day and age are under an incredible pressure. They never know if they will ever get to go back home to their loved ones alive. I have five grandchildren in school on the easy coast of the United States and I worry about them every single day. Why? Because of guns and shootings in schools.
We are nineteen weeks into the year of 2019. In those nineteen weeks, there have already been 15 school shootings in the United States of America in which someone was hurt or killed. They have happened across the country, from Georgia to California. They have happened at elementary, middle, and high schools, and on college and university campuses.
There is no single definition for what, exactly, qualifies as a school shooting, so I am using the following parameters:
(1) The incident must involve at least one person being shot (not including the shooter)
(2) The incident must occur on school property, which includes, but is not limited to, buildings, athletic fields, parking lots, stadiums, and school buses.
(3) The accidental discharge of a firearm is included, as long as the first two parameters are met - except in instances where where the sole shooter is a law enforcement or a hired security officer.
(4) Injuries sustained from the firing of BB guns are included, because the Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that they can be potentially lethal.
When, Where, and What Happened:
May 7 - Savannah, Georgia
One Savannah State University student was shot in a campus residential facility and was transported to a hospital. School officials did not release any information about the victim.
May 7 - Highlands Ranch, Colorado
One 18-year-old student, Kendrick Castillo, was killed, and eight others were shot at a STEM school. Two other students, an 18 year old male, and a 16 year old, have been arrested for the shootings. The 16 year old is identified as a female in school records, but the parents of the child say the student identifies with the male gender. The older one is a known bully at the school who frequently spoke about killing others, according to other students.
May 4 - Eugene, Oregon
A 21-year-old man died from a gunshot wound after being shot outside of a fraternity house at the University of Oregon. The victim was not connected to the university.
April 30 - Charlotte, North Carolina
A man armed with a pistol opened fire on the final day of classes at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The shooter was a 22-year-old former student. He killed 19-year-old Ellis Reed Parlier, and 21-year-old Riley Howell, who was shot three times while charging the shooter. Four others were also shot, with three of them in critical condition.
April 1 - Prescott, Arkansas
An 8th grade student shot another 8th grade student in the hallway of Prescott High School. The boy who was shot was hospitalized. The school district said the shooting appeared to be a premeditated attack.
March 27 - Holmes, Mississippi
A 10-year-old student riding the bus home from the Holmes County Elementary School was shot in his left hand. The student said another student on the bus shot him. The school district said the bus was the target of a drive-by shooting.
March 7 - Grambling, Louisiana
A gun accidentally discharged inside a Garmbling State University dorm, injuring one student.
February 26 - Montgomery, Alabama
A 17-year-old student was shot in the arm inside the school gym at Robert E Lee High School. The injury was not life threatening, and the student was treated and released at a local hospital. The police have not named the suspect.
February 12 - Kansas City, Missouri
During a basketball game, a 15-year-old girl was shot outside the Central Academy of Excellence. Police say the girl had fought with the two suspects, ages 21 and 18, during the game. The suspects were removed from the gym and escorted outside. They allegedly shot the victim when she left the building a short time later.
February 8 - Baltimore, Maryland
A staff member at Frederick Douglass High School was seriously injured when he was shot by a 25-year-old family member at work.
January 31 - Humble, Texas
At Atascocita High School, a 16-year-old student was shot while trying to purchase marijuana from another student. The wound was not life-threatening and the victim was treated and released at a local hospital. The shooter was identified and arrested after he posted the incident on Snapchat.
January 31 - Memphis, Tennessee
A 14-year-old student at Manassas High School ROTC was sent to the hospital for treatment after he was shot with a pellet gun while at school.
January 30 - Lithonia, Georgia
A man was running on the track at Miller Grove High School after school hours, when he saw someone trying to break into his vehicle. He was shot once when he confronted the person trying to enter his vehicle. He was not tied to the school in any way, but was exercising there. He was treated and released.
January 25 - Mobile, Alabama
Two men, ages 20 and 17, had an altercation outside of W. P. Davidson High School, that led to an exchange of gunfire. Both were shot. The principal of the school said that at least one of the men was not a student.
January 7 - Belmont, California
A 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed outside of Central Elementary School. Police said it was not a random shooting, and the victim knew who shot him.
No comments:
Post a Comment