One of the deadliest school shootings in American history occurred on February 14th in Parkland, Florida.
The mass shooting caused an outpouring of support and love for the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as well as cries for political action. The shooting left 17 dead: 14 students and three teachers.
“The news of the shooting was very sad because so many young people lost their lives, and it could have been prevented,” said senior Leslie Lermo.
The attacker, Nikolas Cruz, 19, had a history of troubled behavior. He had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas the previous year for threatening other students. Teachers felt uneasy with him in class, and he was not allowed to carry a backpack on school grounds due to fear that he would bring weapons to school. Cruz also posted disturbing photos and comments online indicating a possibly violent future, but no one understood the malevolence inside of Cruz until he carried out one of the worst school shootings in U.S history.
“There were many things that could have prevented it. There were many warning signs including his social media accounts where he claimed that he wanted to become the next great school shooter,” said senior Marin Henry.
Following the tragedy, the community rallied together to honor the victims of the shooting and to support the devastated survivors. Parents, teachers, and friends all gathered to say goodbye to loved ones and also to plead for an end to gun violence.
“What is unfathomable is Jamie took a bullet and is dead. I don’t know what to do next…we are broken,” said Fred Guttenberg, father of Jamie, 14, a victim of the shooting.
The question is what do we do next? Our nation is split where the question of gun laws is concerned. The shooting in Florida brings the topic into everyone’s focus. In Florida, students have begun protests, chanting “no more guns” outside of schools. These protests have continued throughout the country, calling for reform. On Presidents’ Day, there was a protest for stricter gun laws in Washington D.C. Seventeen teenagers staged a lie-in in front of the White House to represent the students lost in Florida. Teenagers laid down on the ground for three minutes, representing the time of the attack in Florida. Multiple walkouts have been scheduled to fight for gun control, one on March 14th and one on April 20th.
“Movements such as the school walkouts and the march to be held next month are a step in the right direction and I hope that they will implore our government to do something about preventing these tragedies before they happen again,” said Henry.
There is another side to the argument. While they understand what happened in Florida was a tragedy, many people are still against increased gun restrictions, saying it’s a violation their second amendment right. Supporters of gun rights argue that guns are not responsible, but the people who own the guns are.
“I think we need to get to the root of what makes people commit these crimes, and that is mental health. We need to educate society on how our actions affect those around us,” said senior Easton Boynton.
In challenging times, people across the U.S come together to support one another. The anger and shock over what has occurred in Florida has been heard around the country. Now it’s up to us to continue to fight for whatever we believe in.
“We need to learn to always be kind and inclusive to others and embrace diversity. If we can do this, then we can become a society where one’s anger does not result in the death of another,” said Boynton.   .