The United States and School Shootings

As of October 13th, 2022 there have been at least 140 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in the United States. Resulting in 46 deaths and 111 injuries according to Everytown research. This year in the US, 35,318 people have died because of gun violence as of October 17th 2022 according to the gun violence archive. This year alone, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for children and teens. 

What are the most recent school shootings in the United States?

• February 1, 2022 in Richfield, MN there was an argument in the parking lot of the South Education Center. This resulted in the death of a 15yo boy and the injury of 17yo boy and 19yo man. Both shooters were arrested and face murder charges without bail. 
• March 7, 2022 in Des Moines, IA there was a drive by shooting at East High School. A 15yo, 16yo and 18yo were shot at, with the confirmed victim being the 15 yo. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the other 2 were injured. 
• March 14, 2022 in Placentia, CA there was a suicide by gun at Kraemer Middle School. An assistant principal locked himself in the staff bathroom and shot himself. No one else was hurt in this incident. 
• March 15, 2022 in Yakima, WA there was a altercation at Eisenhower High School. Two teenagers were shot in the parking lot of the school’s stadium. One was injured and one was killed.
• April 26, 2022 in Ishpeming, MI there was a self-inflicted gunshot in the bathroom of Aspen Ridge School. A state trooper found the boy alone in the bathroom; he was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.  
• May 18, 2022 in Murfreesboro, TN an altercation broke out after a high school graduation at Middle Tennessee State University. A 17yo boy was fatally shot and an 18yo man was badly injured. 
• May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, TX there was an 18yo attacker at Robb Elementary School. This resulted in 16 injured and 21 dead. He entered the building and shot 19 2nd-4th graders and 2 teachers killing them. This was the deadliest shooting in Texas history. 
• May 31, 2022 in New Orleans, LA there was a shooting in the parking lot of Xavier University of Louisiana. Three people were shot, and one was killed. This happened after a high school graduation party was hosted there. 
• July 31, 2022 in Oakland, CA there was a shooting at a football game at Oakland Technical High School. Thankfully no one was killed but 3 people were injured by gunshots in the stands including one minor. 
• September 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA 64 shots were fired at 5 students attending Roxborough High school. A 14yo kid was shot fatally in the chest, and multiple others were injured. Police currently have a 16yo suspect. 

These are just 10 of the school shootings that happened this year. 

An estimated 3 million children are exposed to shootings every year in the US. When children and teens witness shootings whether at school or anywhere else, there are long lasting impacts. Teens and children who are exposed to violence, crime and abuse are more likely to have mental disorders and abuse drugs or alcohol. Anxiety, depression and PTSD are very common in children exposed to violence. Younger generations live in fear of school shootings. High school students who have been exposed to violence have lower test scores and lower rates of high school graduation all according to Everytown Research. 

How can we protect our youth from experiencing these things? According Everytown Research, one way is having background checks on all gun purchases. Currently under federal law, criminal background checks are required with licensed sellers. This can easily be exploited. Buying from a gun show or unlicensed sellers online would be no problem for felons or domestic abusers. 

Another way is secure gun storage and child access prevention laws. These would require people to store their firearms responsibly. This would prevent children and minors from having access to them. It would also reduce unintentional firearm injuries in minors.

Comprehensive Student Threat Assessment Guidelines help schools identify students and people who are a threat to themselves or others. Then they can get the appropriate care/help. 

For information check out these websites down below:

https://everytownresearch.org/maps/gunfire-on-school-grounds/

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2201761

https://everytownresearch.org/report/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-teens/