How unfathomable would it be to hear the ringing echo of gunshots on your school campus? How can we even try to understand and empathize with these victims and their families when this idea feels so distant and surreal? Society is constantly narrating stories about these shootings, yet often fails to truly reflect and mourn with victims.
On September 4th, 2024, Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia, became the site of a tragic school shooting that shocked and devastated the local community. The incident, which took the lives of 2 students and 2 teachers, serves as a reminder of the ongoing school violence crisis that affects communities across the United States.
According to CNN, the suspected shooter returned from the bathroom around 9:45 am, a gun in hand. Shots were fired, causing panic as students scrambled for safety, attempting to flee the building. The first official report of the shooting was received by the Sheriff’s Department around 10:20 am (CNN). The firearm used was reportedly an AR Platform weapon, specifically an AR 15-style rifle, according to law enforcement officials.
Mason Schermerhorn, Christian Angulo, Richard Aspinwall, and Christina Irmie are the four victims whose lives were tragically taken on September 4th. These victims were young students and teachers who had their entire lives ahead of them. Now, as the community mourns and reflects, the school has been closed to respect and honor the devastating losses.
This shooting, like many others in the past, has instilled the urgent need to address school safety and mental health awareness in school environments. School is meant to be a safe and welcoming place for students of all genders, backgrounds, religions, and family structures. No child should ever fear their safety when simply attending school. No child should ever have to wonder, “Will I be safe at school today?” Teachers, students, and parents alike ask themselves, “How do events like this continue to happen? What could have been done to prevent it?”
This event is a painful reminder that school safety is not only necessary in physical measures such as metal detectors and on-campus officers but in a more personal sense as well. The root of this issue lies deeper than this, and it stems from the lack of mental health within students. Society must take action to end this school violence pandemic, starting with tracking warning signs and being aware of the mental health of the student body.
The Apalachee High School tragedy is not an isolated event. In recent years, the drastic increase in school violence has been shocking and disturbing. This heightened rate of brutality in educational environments affects our nation as a whole. It has become a topic that is often disregarded since society has become desensitized to the constant violence on school campuses. Here at Yorba Linda High School, students and teachers alike can empathize with the pure horror and shock the Apalachee community is currently experiencing. As humans, society can feel the pain and the heavy hearts of those who have lost a loved one. Although the community we live in hasn’t directly experienced an event so devastating, this issue is real and current. Kenzi Reiter (11) states, “It is important to learn about these acts of violence in schools, so we can learn to have empathy and continue to tell their stories.”
As communities mourn the lives lost in Apalachee, Georgia, it is crucial that the conversation does not end with grief. Instead, this event should be a wake-up call to the nation that now is the time for action. To prevent horrific events like this in the future, school boards, parents, and students must fight for change in school safety, whether that involves on-campus security or mental and emotional resources for students. How many more shootings must this nation experience before we finally decide it is time for change? The educational safety of children tomorrow depends on the collective action of today.
