Early Wednesday morning, gunmen stormed Pakistan University in Charsadda, Pakistan. With violence levels on the rise and people fearing, there are many possible outcomes from this situation.

Killing at least 80 people, as the true statistics are still not known, people were shot in halls and in classrooms–not to mention the people trapped in classrooms. According to the school, there are 3,000 people regularly enrolled in the University; however, there were more people on campus on Wednesday due to a poetry symposium. Lizzie Clark (12) states that her “hearts go out to them,” and that she hopes the region can recover.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan has stated that he is “personally monitoring the situation,” and will take whatever action necessary to make sure that this does not happen again. At the World Economic Forum, he previously went on record stating that there will be conscientious efforts to “wipe out terrorism in [their] homeland.”

With numerous teachers and students trapped in classrooms, people have begin to ask the question of whether or not teachers across the world should be allowed to fire back. With these questions being raised in Pakistan, gun legislation is being called into question in the United States.

After promises in the State of the Union by President Obama, there are numerous people that have began to wonder whether there should be stricter legislation, especially when it comes to zoning around schools. This question, however, is still not up for debate.

When it comes down to it, though, all that matters is the widespread violence, coupled with political unrest, in the Middle East. With the rise of ISIL and the sudden resurgence of al Qaeda, Pakistan is, especially, in much danger. As a Pakistani, I can confirm that this is one of the most dangerous times. In times past, I have visited Pakistan about nine times; however, my family has not been allowed to visit recently thanks to the violence.