On December 14, 2012 there was a school shooting at Sandy Hook elementary. The shooter Adam Lanza shot his mother and killed her, then drove her car to Sandy Hook elementary. He arrived at 9:30 AM, Lanza then shot his way through the entrance of the school. He injured one person in the first couple minutes and killed 2 people within the same time range. Police were called and arrived exactly five minutes after the call was made. Lanza then entered the school and went into the classroom of substitute teacher Lauren Rousseau and shot and killed fourteen students also killing Lauren Rousseau. Next he entered the room of teacher Victoria Soto, killing the six students that were in her room, including herself. He then shot himself in the same classroom. In all he ended up killing his mom, six adult women and 12 girls and eight boys, all ages six and seven and then himself. 

It has been ten years since this tragedy happened. Here is what many did on this day to remember the victims. There was a Sandy Hook reflection pool put together for everyone killed in the shooting. Many families visited the reflection pool and went to the spot where their loved ones name was engraved into the stone. Residents of the Connecticut town where it took place marked the ten year anniversary by attending vigils, and reflecting in private with loved ones. They also hosted a benefit evening in New York City to commemorate the 10-Year Remembrance of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Many politicians remembered the victims by making speeches or posting about them on their social media platforms.  

Now let’s talk about the effects of school shootings. There were a total of fifty- one school shootings in 2022 alone. Many people involved in these types of events develop depression and or anxiety. Many parents that have lost a loved one in the shooting might also attempt suicide when losing their child. Many schools’ learning percentiles also dropped by a significant amount. They also experienced tons more absences because of parents being scared to send their children to school knowing that their kids might not come back home. Many kids are on high alert at school wondering if today could be the day a shooting happens at their school. 

Finally, let’s talk about how we can help to prevent school shootings. Make sure the students trust the adults enough to talk to them about things going on with them. Many students think it is fine to joke about school shootings, when in reality it is not something to joke about. Make sure to not be joking about school shootings when they are a very serious topic. Make sure to always check for body language, and any signs of violence. Talk to kids about their home lives and see if anything alarming is going on there. Most importantly, always be kind to others, because you never know what may happen or what they are going through each day.