Mass shootings
You’re in a dark room, your ears are ringing from the gunshots. You’re on the floor and you look up, books on desks are untouched, but your fellow classmates on the floor are not. You’re surrounded by the outcome of a school shooting. Blood splatters the floor and walls along with bullet cases. The only thing you can smell is gun powder and the silence in the room is deafening, you’re frozen in time as you see what used to be a fun and colorful place turn into the death site for many and the place of nightmares for others. A mass shooting is defined as “ an incident involving multiple victims of firearms-related violence.” Some think mass shootings can never be stopped, and they would be right. However, there are ways to help
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However, schools are not fully prepared to protect their students in case of an emergency like an active shooter. They have their students practice “lockdown” drills so we can be prepared for an active shooter if it ever were to happen but, are we ever actually prepared? Are we really ever ready to face an active shooter if they get into your classroom or hide and watch as your classmates get picked off one by one and pray he doesn’t find you? There are ways schools can better prepare for emergency situations. A school district in Oklahoma has started installing bullet proof shelters in classrooms following the Florida school shooting. The purpose of this shelter is to stop fatalities from shootings.It has cameras so you can see what is going on outside of your shelter. It is designed to protect you from natural disasters atoo. Also, metal detectors installed in schools could make schools safer. They have the potential to reduce the risk of something dangerous and harmful getting into schools. “Using metal detectors at the main entrances of schools generally serves to reduce the risk of students, staff or any other visitor entering the premises with a gun, knife, bomb or other dangerous metallic object” (Seattle PI). Metal detectors could save lives and stop a percentage of mass shootings. Students have the right to feel safe in their …show more content…
California has faced many lawsuits over microstamping because most people think it is impossible to achieve. However, if something has the ability to help solve crimes it should be researched and developed. “Microstamping, in theory, would mean all pistols sold by licensed dealers would stamp a code on ammunition casings when fired that would include data like the make and model of the pistol, plus the serial number. That code would, in theory, allow police to connect spent casings at crime scenes to the gun that fired them, though it has never been tested in the field. All the character representing this information would have to be imprinted in the primer of the casing by the firing pin on every round ” (RANGE365). Microstamping could be a breakthrough in technology. Also, “During the stress test, Lizotte and Ohar fired 1,500 rounds from the Colt handgun. This firearm was purchased as a used model and equipped with microstamping technology. Using simple Optical Microscopy, Lizotte and Ohar achieved identifiable marks from the Colt’s expended cartridges over 95% of the time. The rounds were fired consecutively and each cartridge was collected and meticulously catalogued, allowing future researchers to review the evidence for themselves.This followed a previous test in May 2007
I think the interesting thing about working with firearm evidence is learning about different types of weapons, identifying different markings on bullets and learning about the bullet trajectory and distance. The challenging part would be examining bullets that are broken or mutilated.
An investigation involving a firearm is a specialty of forensic science which focuses on the examination of firearms linked to ballistics. Ballistics is related to finding out the exact flight path of projectiles. Ballistics is the area of study that examines the exact path of the bullet from the moment it leaves the muzzle of the firearm up until it hits the target. During examination many items are collected for evidence including the firearm, bullets, live ammunition, cartridge casings, trace materials such as powder residue, and anything damaged by the projectile. Firearms are often divided into three processes: Internal, External, and Terminal Ballistics. Internal refers to the inside of the firearm; the space of time in which the shooter pulls the trigger, and the when the bullet is exiting. External ballistics is the flight between leaving the muzzle of the firearm, and it striking its target. Terminal ballistics is the impact of ballistics that refers to the examination in which the projectile strikes a target. All firearms leave markings on the cartridge casings once expelled when firing. Ballistic identification and microstamping laws make it possible to link a cartridge recovered to the
This shooting was the worst in United States history, and it left families speechless and people in disarray. Two teens committed the treacherous actions of that day. The speculations were that they did this because of bullying, goth culture, or music or video games; these though were all just theories and were never proven(history). After this event, schools, venues, and events have endured grand security increases in the danger of shooters or other violence. Throughout my school days, I have wondered why we do the silly lock down drills at school, but in reality, lives could be saved in the event of an actual attack on my school. I realized this my eight grade year at Guntown Middle School. There was an unidentified man on campus, a code red lock down would amerce. I still remember sitting under my desk, shaking, and almost to tears. I did not want to be remembered as just another statistic if it was a shooter. But it had been our lucky day, the man who had stirred up all the commotion was just looking for the school’s office. Those fears I experienced however, would stay with me. We all believe that we are invincible and that it would never be us. However, with the world as it is today, no one is safe. I have been affected by the Columbine shooting through security changes in schools that I
I have been a student in the Thomas County School System ever since I started pre-school. During my time here, I have loved every minute of it, learning and having great experiences with friends and teachers here. Over the last four years of my high school experience, I have noticed that there have been more threats of bombings and shootings around the nation. Even though we do have a safe school and take precautions, there is still room for error. I am proposing that we make school a safer place for kids to learn by installing bulletproof glass as well as door-stoppers in each class.
One of the many misuses of firearms are the mass shootings that seems to becoming a normal tragedy in the United States schools. Mass shootings that occur usually have a motive or some kind of emotional tie to why these types of murderous actions took place. Phillip Cook and Kristin Goss explains emotional ties of the killers and what drives them to murder:
Imagine this, it’s a sunny day and you and your family are out eating ice cream at a park suddenly you hear 3 pops, people screaming, blood everywhere and one of your family members lying on the floor, what would you do?According to the government, the definition of mass shootings is that 4 or more people are killed, victims are selected randomly, and the attack is in a public place. Mass shootings started in the 1910’#, but got worse in the 1070s. In the The 1990s, there were 42 mass shootings due to easy access to guns. U.S. citizens own more guns than any other country. Some suggestions from liberals/gun control advocates to solve the problem of mass shootings are to address mental health illness seriously, common sense control, and re-examine the media’s role publicizing violence. Some suggestions that the conversation/gun rights advocates have are school and public buildings should have more physical barriers such as ballistic glass and steal plating and they should have more trained, air,
Schools around the country have poor school security. After the Parkland shooting in Florida this past year, students at Blue Valley High, noticed that the school security is terrible. Anyone out of the 1400 kids could easily bring a weapon into the school to cause a massacre. Yes, it is very unlikely to happen, but it is better to be safe so everyone can have a nice learning environment with no worries. The best way to shield a school from a gunman is to have a metal detector.
“There have been 220 shootings on school campuses in the U.S. since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, according to Everytown For Gun Safety, an advocacy group.” (Krishnakumar, Priya , and Len Degroot) Many people do not feel safe attending or sending their child to a public school where they are possibly subject to a shooting. School shootings were first initially brought to the attention of the public in 1999, Columbine was one of the first school massacres that was recognized nationwide. Because of the magnitude of the shooting there is an abundance of information online bearing information of the event. First off, the shooters had identified specific targets, athletes, minorities and Christians. The two shooters had planned the firing for over a year and thought out their whole strategy. (“Columbine High School shootings.”) There was no plan in place to react to this shooting, because nothing like it had ever happened before. Although if there was, we may not hear about Columbine to the degree we do today. Columbine still is the most well known shooting and the horrific impact is still notable today across the United States. In the eighteen years since Columbine in 1999 there have been hundreds of school shootings, ranging from grade schools to college universities. Obviously, school shootings are a big problem in the United States and hopefully in time with the proper precautions taken they will eventually be eliminated forever.
As stated before mass shootings have increased drastically throughout the decades. Just within 2017, the number of mass shootings are 293 with several deaths and injuries, (“Gun Violence Archive”). Within the last 10 years, the deadliest mass shootings have occurred in America history, (CNN). Recently in Las Vegas, Nevada held a music festival for people to enjoy and listen to music, but a shooting changed the evening for many. A man was in an hotel near the event and shot down towards the people and killed a total of 58 people and injured at least 200, (CNN). The Orlando shooting was right behind it with a total of 49 dead, (CNN). Since this has become a part of our everyday lives, we rarely hear about all the mass shootings that kill not even into the double digits.
A major concern in the United States is why mass shootings occur and what needs to be done to stop them from happening. Mass shootings have gained a significant amount of attention in 2015. Within the year, a total of 372 mass shootings have occurred in the United States killing 475 people and wounding 1,870. Mass shootings have become a popular trend within the media and have given the impression that it is the new normal. Mass shootings are a dysfunction to society, due to the fact that they create horror and tragedy within the country. Schools, shopping malls, and even movie theatres have all endured the horrific violence. Mass shootings are nothing new, however, they seem to be occurring more often and are becoming more and more violent. The three leading factors to mass shootings are problematic masculinity, mental illness, and gun control.
Can you imagine a normal day of waking up in the morning and going to school, as you are in class or walking to class you hear a loud sound and booms starts to happen. You are going to be terrified to death, because you would not know what to do. The school shootings are way out of control and the law is not really doing anything about it, So how are the students supposed to feel safe at school when they are already scared to go because of not knowing how to do the work, bullies,and getting ignored by everyone,which pretty soon all leads up to someone just snapping, and not being able to take it anymore and go on a rampage with a weapon most likely a gun and start shooting everyone or everything around him or her. There have been a lot
School shootings are terrifying and a big problem in today’s society. Schools have added lockdown drills, bullet proof glass and metal detectors. School should be a safe area for children to learn instead of fearing for their life. Instead of buying metal detectors and hiring more officers, there is a much easier solution in order to decrease and prevent school shootings. We have to be more alert about securing weapons at home and being aware of suspicious behavior at school in order to keep children and faculty safe.
In the years since 1992, school shootings have claimed an estimated 350 lives in the United States. And as the number of school shootings is increasing every year, school officials are more concerned than ever for student’s safety. This concern has spurred a number of movements to improve the security of all kinds of schools, whether it be daycares, high schools, or elementary schools. One general plan proposed to protect schools from armed gunmen is having select teachers armed with concealed handguns, placed strategically through the school, ready to react to active shooters. This plan is one of a kind, new, and unique. Previous to this, many schools have hired expensive security guards, used intrusive electronic security systems, or most frighteningly, had no
After the Sandy Hook, there were countless ways for students to be safe at school. In Preparing for the Unthinkable: School Safety after Sandy Hook news article, Vicki Bauman said, “ Instead of gates, guns, and metal detectors, let’s invest in the things we know will make us safer: counselors, health care, teaching positive behavior, and making sure we have services to reach out to disconnected youth and pull them back on track.” Therefore, violence is not the answer to any question or issue. The community and school system should take a stand and get the necessities that the schools need to have a safe environment for the students and faculty and staff. The school can invest in law enforcement. The law enforcement will be able to conduct a consistent search through a metal detector. The law enforcement will help the students to avoid bringing prohibited weapons to school as well as, there to protect the school.
The effort of this paper is designed to provide an audience with the basic framework in preventing, reacting to, and recovering from a school shooting. By analyzing the crisis of a school shooting, this paper will lay out the practical steps in preparing schools, communities, and local agencies for a tragedy that has already shook many communities across the nation. This paper will also follow the steps necessary to implement and evaluate a school shooting preparedness plan. In concluding this paper, school staff, local agencies, and families will be able to take the practical steps towards providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for students.