By Joe Gonzales
On September 4, a current student at Apalachee Highschool named Colt Gray brought a gun to school. In the shooting, 13 people were shot. Two students and two teachers were killed, and the other nine victims were hospitalized. According the information from CNN News, Gray was taken into custody and charged with four counts of felony murder. His father, Collin Gray, was also charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter because he purchased the gun that his son used during the shooting. Gray’s father will be held without bond in jail for the rest of his life whereas Gray will have his next hearing in December.
At this point in 2024, there have been 49 school shootings. This year has been shocking to the United States, and parents do not feel safe letting their kids go to school anymore. Just in the month of September, there were 6 shootings, and the government has not implemented any. When is it time for the teachers to be able to defend themselves? According to educationweek.org, 40% of schools have unarmed guards, but some of these guards have to look over multiple districts. Some schools also have secret alarms where teachers can alert a threat by the click of a button. But, even with both of these measures in place, school shootings continue to happen. Guns are the leading cause of death for children in America, and it’s time to get serious about these patterns.
On September 6, 2024, student Ronaldo Vega spoke out about his experience. Vega attends Apalachee High, and was shot multiple times in the arms and legs through the wall of a classroom. In an interview with Atlanta News First, Vega said, “He shot the first one, and then that’s when I immediately ducked down to cover myself, he looked at me, but I was lucky enough that he didn’t point the gun at me.” Vega acted quickly, and closed the door behind the shooter. In his explanation, Vega expressed both shock and blessing. When asked about the door, he said, “I didn’t want anything more bad to happen because if it did happen, I would not be here right now.” The incredibly brave student is going into his second month as a freshman, but is now traumatized for life just like the rest of the students.
The world can no longer look past these tragic events. This will continue to happen, and students and teachers will continue to die. It is time to crack down on the subject and assure students and parents that it will not happen anymore. These school shootings change the world. How can parents be comfortable sending their kids to get an education when they are not absolutely certain they will return home? What other repercussions can the government implement into every school nationwide? These are questions Americans continue to ask as the news of the Apalachee Highschool shooting spreads across the country.
