School Shootings: A Narrative Report

Introduction

In the United States there has been multiple school shootings in the past years however, depending on how the shooting is classified depends on the number reported. Some groups such as, Everytown for Gun Safety, reported that there has been 74 school shootings since Sandy Hook happened in December of 2012; this report includes incidents where a firearm was discharged in a school whether it be an assault, suicide, or accidental (Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, 2014). Then another group, The Brandy Campaign, reported 33 school shootings since Sandy Hook but defines a school shooting as when at least one person is shot on school property (Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2016). These statistics vary because of different definitions of a school

However, after this tragic event, she believes teachers should not carry guns in school. This is because she believes guns will do more harm than good (K. Roig-DeBellis, personal communication, October 13, 2016). One of the biggest risk associated with teachers having guns in schools, even if they are locked away, is there is always a chance of a student getting ahold of a gun and hurting/killing themselves or another individual. This is just as bad as a gunman coming in and shooting. Another why teachers having guns is bad is because of the lack of training they will have. Policeman and swat team members go through months and years of training until they are able to handle situations involving shooters, and these teachers would be handling these situations after just a little training. This can lead to inappropriate use of guns in schools. Also, the training teachers go through does not involve a mental training, so there could be a chance a teacher who has a gun ends up being just as bad as a gun man with a gun