The United States was stunned to silence once again in the new year. Between January 1st and February 15th, eighteen school shootings have occurred. Big and little towns around the country have been targeted, and the fatalities are shocking. While no one was hurt in eight of these shootings, this number is still dreadful when it comes to time span and number of fatalities. The crimes have been committed by alumni and current students.

Jan. 3rd, St. Johns, MI

A 31-year-old man died in the parking lot at East Olive Elementary School from a self-inflicted gun shot.

Jan. 4th, Seattle, WA

A gunshot was fired through an office window at the New Start High School. The bullet was found lodged in a three-ring binder. No one was harmed.

Jan. 10th, Sierra Vista, AZ

A teenager was found dead in a Coronado Elementary School bathroom from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Jan 10th, San Bernardino, CA

A California State University window was shattered by at least one bullet. No one was harmed.

Jan 10th, Denison, TX

A bullet was fired through a classroom wall at the Grayson College Criminal Justice Center. No one was harmed.

Jan. 15th, Marshall, TX

Multiple gunshots were fired on the Wiley College Campus. One bullet went through a residential hall’s dorm room. No one was harmed.

Jan. 20th, Winston-Salem, NC

During an event at Wake Forest University, a Winston-Salem State University football player was shot and killed.

Jan. 22nd, Italy, TX

A semi-automatic handgun was fired by a 16-year-old, wounding another teenager from Italy High School.

Jan. 22nd, Gentilly, LA

A 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting outside of The NET Charter High School.

Jan. 23rd, Benton, KY

A shooting at Marshall County High School ended with two dead and fifteen wounded.

Jan. 25th, Mobile, AL

Jonah Neal, a Murphy High School student, fired a gun on campus. No one was injured.

Jan. 26th, Dearborn, MI

A student from Dearborn High School’s parking lot fired shots from their car. No one was injured.

Jan. 31st, Philadelphia, PA

As a fight broke outside of Lincoln High School, shots were fired. A 32-year-old man was shot twice and pronounced dead.

Feb. 1st, Los Angeles, CA

At Salvador B. Castro Middle School, five children were injured during an accidental shooting.\

Feb. 5th, Oxon Hill, MD

A teenager was shot outside of Oxon Hill High School. Fortunately, the teen survived.

Feb. 5th, Maplewood, MN

At the Harmony Learning Center, a third-grader pulled the trigger on a police officer’s gun. No one was harmed.

Feb. 8th, New York, NY

A shot was fired inside Metropolitan High School, and a teen was arrested. No one was harmed.

Feb. 14th, Broward County, LA

A former student killed 17 students at Stoneman Douglas High.

These shootings are not even half of the mass shootings that have occurred in 2018 thus yet. To view a log of the mass shootings that have this occurred this year, click here. 

It has come to the point where students and teachers do not feel safe in school. Parents and students alike are calling

for some sort of reform to prevent these tragic incidents, whether it comes in the form of stricter gun laws or more through background checks.

Many schools have no protection while others are equipped with metal detectors, security guards, and even police officers. Do these assets provide safety? Do they prevent threats? Should schools be provided with armed guards? Will that prevent tragedies like this?

These are questions and concerns that the public has created, but no reply has been heard from the government. Some doubt that the government will ever speak on the subject as many congressman, including the President himself, have been influenced by the NRA, National Rifle Association, through the donation of millions of dollars into campaigns.

After every major shooting in the U.S., it’s typical to hear about a few speeches before the ordeal is forgotten about. A student interviewed by Buzzfeed after the Parkland shooting discussed this issue in a heartbreaking quote. However, this time, students and leaders of former protests are taking the first step to call true attention to the issue of gun reform. There is a walkout scheduled for March 14th, 2018 for students. At 10 am, students around the country plan to walk out of the school for seventeen minutes, one minute for every life lost in the Parkland shooting. To learn more about the planned walk outs, read this article written by another one of their journalists, Madelyn Bugdonovitch.

According to Think Progress, “The rate of people killed by guns in the US is 19.5 times higher than similar high-income countries in the world.” We are known for tragedies rather than our accomplishments. Isn’t that telling us something?

Is there a solution? Will there every be? Will teachers with guns, metal detectors, clear book bags, background checks change anything? Little work has been done in schools since the first majorly recognized school shooting in 1999.

Parkland victims have begun to rally and protest in front of thousands of people. Is this the beginning of the end?