School Shootings Make Headlines as Gun Violence Continuously Rises

April, 2023

By Jerald Herrera, Staff Reporter

In 2021, there were 35 school shootings. Each single one of those shootings represents a tragedy in a place where we’re supposed to feel safe.

In 2022, we reached record highs, with 51 school shootings in that year alone.

On May 24, 2022, the Robb Elementary School shooting took place. A total of 19 students, ages ranging from 10 to 11, were shot and killed.

This was heartbreaking news, for not only were these children taken away from their families, but Austin, only two hours away from the shooting, made the tragedy feel all the more real.

Every 15 days, my parents and I travel to a little border city called Acuna. On our way there, we pass through Uvalde. Uvalde has always been a cute small town with about 15,000 people. Every year, they hold small get-togethers for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. After the shooting, people painted murals dedicated to the victims, and the mottos “Uvalde Strong” and “Pray For Uvalde” were written on walls and storefronts.

Seeing how the city became the center of attention for people wanting to support the families and others affected gave me hope for the future. Unfortunately, it took the loss of 21 human beings for these inspiring acts of kindness to be seen.

To think that it’s almost been a year shows how quickly and often these shootings happen. We hope, pray, and look for answers with each shooting, but the problem grows. As of writing this, there have already been 13 school shootings, not to mention the 130 mass shootings that have taken place in total this year.

Every year, the number of incidents related to gun violence increases, and every year we believe it’s going to get better. Still, the reality is that the U.S. is not doing enough to stop these incidents from happening.

Police departments are supposed to be quick and organized when handling situations of this nature. However, the Uvalde Police Department’s reaction on the day of the shooting was a prime example of how unprepared police departments can be for reacting to events that can have dire consequences when not handled properly.