It is a scary world in which we reside in today. Over the past year, the United States has experienced over 45 school shootings that have rapidly spread throughout middle schools and colleges. Each year, the casualty numbers increase drastically and the government has yet to find a way to cope with these tragedies. The most recent shooting occurred last week on Friday where two students had died and 3 were injured at a high school in Santa Clarita, California. The small city of California is known for its quiet suburban life where the most exciting feature is Six flags and the mall. So how did a small town become the next target?
As some of you may know, there have been several speculations regarding the motive of the shooter. Sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Berhow had taken a .45-caliber pistol to his highschool, Saugus, early in the morning after his mom had dropped him off. This young man proceeded to open fire and kill two students, 15-year-old Grace Anne Muehlberger and 14-year-old Dominic Blackwell. He injured three other students while carrying out this event and then shot himself after hysteria had broken loose. The lives that were taken had no connection with the shooter and therefore, sets confusion to the community as to why Nathaniel decided to commit this horrific killing spree. Several students were found scared and confused after they had heard gunshots being fired around. Luckily, there were cops on campus that were off duty that were able to report to the incident immediately, but were too late to save any lost lives.
Today, the city of Santa Clarita mourns for the lives that were lost and prays for the recovery of the school. It is unknown whether the police will find any evidence to link the motive of the shooter, but it is clear to say that America needs to reform a new gun law. If the government disregards the innocent deaths that were lost and chooses to not make any changes, it is only a matter of time for another school shooting to occur. Until we are able to find a good medium with gun violence, schools must prepare students in case of a threat. These precautionary measures should involve, what to do if a gun is present, how to act in a school shooting, and how to defend yourself when placed in a life threatening situation. All of these tactics and reformed gun laws will not diminish the issue, however it will help lower the death rates in schools and provide safety to students all around America.