What will it take to end these senseless school shootings?

[Dan Murphy]

Such a sad thing to again listen to the news, dealing with yet another totally senseless school shooting. In the Detroit suburb of Oxford. 4 kids killed, 6 other students, 1 teacher wounded, 3 were in critical condition. The shooter, 15 year old student at the same school. He used his father's gun that the father purchased on Black Friday, 4 days earlier. For no reason, just randomly trying to shoot and kill as many fellow students as his could in the few minutes he was on the loose.

When the lockdown was sounded, student survivors said that they immediately went into 'ALICE' mode that they have been taught over years prior.

A – ALERT – This is your first notification of danger.
L – LOCKDOWN – Barricade the room. Prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER if needed.
I – INFORM – Communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.
C – COUNTER – Create noise, movement, distance and distraction to reduce the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.
E – EVACUATE – When safe to do so, remove yourself from the danger zone.

I know my grandkids go through this or similar training twice a year. When I was a kid, we practiced fire drills and air raid drills. We did not practice how to survive an active shooter in the school trying to kill us. This is so sad, so senseless. When will it end for these kids? I feel so sorry for them.



ETA picture of the victims who were killed.............

The four young students killed, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 15 year-old Justin Shilling and 17 year-old Madisyn Baldwin. Their whole lifetimes ahead of them, cut so short. Look at them. 6 other students and 1 teacher wounded.

There have been 48 shootings in K-12 schools this calendar year, 32 of them since August 1st, the start of current school year. For what? Why?

 

[JimMIA]

I wish I had an answer!

To me, it seems to be one symptom of the larger societal problem of general de-civilization. Rules don't matter, laws don't matter, morals don't matter, other people don't matter. It takes virtually nothing to set people off these days, and there is often no logical connection between the affront and the reaction. People have been killed for silly Facebook posts -- that's just nuts.

 

[georgina]

Guns too easily available to people. Prosecute the parents whose gun it was.

 

[TB'sWidow]

Yes it’s awful I work for the school system elementary level and to try and reassure children it’s just a drill for the active shooter it doesn’t matter they are still upset

 

[prairie_girl]

There’s a very easy answer but since I don’t want points or backlash I won’t offer what it is. I’m sure you know..

 

[HeatherC]

Guns too easily available to people. Prosecute the parents whose gun it was.

What is even sadder about this is I just read the kids dad just purchased it on November 29! So heartbreaking all around.

 

[Colleen27]

It is never going to happen. Too many people have decided it is an acceptable price to pay for easy access to recreational firearms, so just like taxes and traffic it is one more thing we just have to deal with as part of life in America. OHS did everything that is supposed to help - active shooter training, armed security and a police officer on campus - and still four kids went to school yesterday and will never again get to go home.

ETA: Don't mind me. Feeling cynical as **** today because I have family and friends with kids/grandkids at Oxford HS and spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon touching base with people to find out if their high schoolers made it home.

 

[slo]

It’s horrible - absolutely horrible.
This fall there was a school shooting scare at DD’s HS, which ended up being a false alarm, but it wasn’t known it was a false alarm until 5 hours into it. This was literally the scariest day for my DD and for us. Katie was texting me, “Mommy, I’m so scared.” and there was nothing I could do - totally helpless. I just kept telling her I love her and that God is with her.

I could write a lot more about this day, but I’ll keep it short. I don’t wish the fear I felt on anyone. Terrible day, but thank God it was a false alarm and no one was hurt.

 

[JimMIA]

He's been charged as an adult with several counts of first degree murder, lots of attempted murder and aggravated assault charges...and terrorism? I don't understand the terrorism part, but the initial info is always very sketchy in cases like this.

@Colleen27, I hope all your loved ones are okay and I'm sorry they had to go through this. It's a scar they will bear for years.

 

[Jennasis]

I don't have an answer. Frankly....after Sandy Hook, when not a dang thing changed after those babies were murdered, I figured it is never going to change.

 

[White Cat]

Guns too easily available to people. Prosecute the parents whose gun it was.

A guy ran a bunch of people down with a car recently.

 

[JimMIA]

I don't have an answer. Frankly....after Sandy Hook, when not a dang thing changed after those babies were murdered, I figured it is never going to change.

The kids from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas were able to get some changes in Florida laws. They worked very hard, and very effectively, with the Florida Legislature and succeeded when most people thought they had no chance.

 

[White Cat]

Lots of reasons for this and I don’t feel it will stop. The breakdown of families. The idea that a father is not needed in the home, or at all. Folks like Mads and Rosie telling society that fatherless homes is ok. That police are bad. That teachers don’t have to be respected. There are many reason. And it all started 40 to 50 years ago. IMO.

 

[Dead2009]

Guns too easily available to people. Prosecute the parents whose gun it was.

So prosecute them even if the gun were tucked away in a safe location and the kid found it? Nah.

 

[Ikaikalani]

A guy ran a bunch of people down with a car recently.

The car things on a different thread, this ones the gun thing.

 

[stranger706]

Lots of reasons for this and I don’t feel it will stop. The breakdown of families. The idea that a father is not needed in the home, or at all. Folks like Mads and Rosie telling society that fatherless homes is ok. That police are bad. That teachers don’t have to be respected. There are many reason. And it all started 40 to 50 years ago. IMO.

Exactly. Don't have a gun? Just drive through a parade.

 

[JimMIA]

I don't know if this is true, but Fox is reporting that the boy's parents attended a meeting with him and school officials 2-3 hours before the shooting. They were called to the school because of behavioral problems in the classroom, met, and left.

 

[JimMIA]

The car things on a different thread, this ones the gun thing.

OP was asking what causes incidents like this, and many think there is a common theme even though different weapons are used.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Lots of reasons for this and I don’t feel it will stop. The breakdown of families. The idea that a father is not needed in the home, or at all. Folks like Mads and Rosie telling society that fatherless homes is ok. That police are bad. That teachers don’t have to be respected. There are many reason. And it all started 40 to 50 years ago. IMO.

The bolded has nothing to do with what happened. His dad literally bought the gun that was used in the crime.

 

[Jennasis]

Lots of reasons for this and I don’t feel it will stop. The breakdown of families. The idea that a father is not needed in the home, or at all. Folks like Mads and Rosie telling society that fatherless homes is ok. That police are bad. That teachers don’t have to be respected. There are many reason. And it all started 40 to 50 years ago. IMO.

The kid had a father...that's where the gun came from.

"Fatherless home" is utter hogwash. Parenting is parenting. One parent. Two parents. Two Moms. Two Dads. Doesn't matter.