Ever since 1999, school shootings have become more normal in America. On March 20th, One student shot two kids in their school in Maryland. The shooter, 17-year-old Austin Rollins, stole his father’s pistol and shot 14-year-old Desmond Barnes in the leg and 16-year-old Jaelynn Willey in the head, who fell to her injuries two days later. After Wyatt shot these two students he shot himself as well. A very scary part of this shooting was the call to 9-1-1 by Barnes after being shot. Usually students don’t call the police because the school does but this student horrifyingly told the operator that he was shot…in his school.
Now this sounds not only normal to today’s news, but this shooting was less severe than most nowadays. Most shootings that aren’t as fatal usually aren’t as broadcasted, but this shooting was very important to many. On March 24th the March for Our Lives rally would be taking place in Washington D.C on 68 miles away from Great Mills High School. The close proximity to this large rally sparked suspicion that a shooting could occur during the protest. It also created more anger towards law officials from ralliers to take action against acts like this that have been occuring in the United States since 1999.
The countless numbers of school shootings is chilling to the bone for not only the country, but all the students who are victims of these crimes. Today, students are nervous and afraid to go to school knowing there is always a chance this could happen to them or their school. Activist, Junior Naomi Bell, has been organizing support efforts against gun violence at Timber Creek. Bell says, “my two cousins were there during the shooting [at Marjory Stoneman Douglas] which has provoked me to make a difference in my school and community.” Bell also attended the March for Our Lives in downtown Orlando and was able to see the power of the people. Bell says, “I am not exactly afraid to go to school, a little hesitant, yes, that a shooting could happen at my school, but I don’t want it to feel like I am walking into a prison,” because now school districts have been trying to enforce more security in each school. Students feel that more security to schools doesn’t promote a positive learning environment and won’t make the students feel any safer in their school. Ever since students have taken action to speak up against gun laws in America, students begin to see hope.
Fight for Rights. Junior, Naomi bell has been planning to work with other students to make change. Bell says, “I hope to see unity among students in an effort to be the generation that makes a change and finds a solution to the problems we are currently dealing with.”