This Has to Stop

  • By Matt Jones
  • March 16, 2023

I was in fifth grade in April 1999, when the Columbine shooting happened. I didn’t watch the news much, and the infinite information faucet of 24-hour news cycles and social media didn’t exist yet. I don’t remember much about the coverage and won’t try to invent details 24 years later. But what I do remember is my English teacher’s small meltdown during class the next day.

Dr. Pruit was beside himself that something like this could have happened. I remember a mix of confusion, anger, indignation, and him having to cut himself off mid-sentence and turn away to regain his composure. He was a lifelong educator, and it was evident that he was taking the news of a mass shooting in a school very hard and very personally. How could this happen in a place meant for learning, for education, for growth? How could innocent teenagers go from taking a few deep breaths before a math test to dead on the floor in the blink of an eye? And how could other teenagers have decided to take out their anger or dissatisfaction with life on kids just trying to make it through the day?

I was a college freshman in April 2007, when the Virginia Tech shooting happened. I had a 9 a.m. math class, and the professor—Dr. Starbird—had an almost identical reaction. He took a few moments to address his fury to the class with a quaver in his voice and tears in his eyes; he, also, was taking the news personally and struggling to align it with his lifetime of experience and philosophy of the purpose of educational institutions. There were moments of anger, moments of sadness, moments of bewildered silence. It was like it was something that had happened here, to us.

Now, it’s March 2023, and I’ve been the senior editor for Campus Security & Life Safety magazine for a tick over two years. As such, it’s been my unfortunate duty to delve into the recent rash of active shooting incidents in schools. Sometimes it feels like not a week goes by without a breaking news alert in my inbox or on my phone about shots fired at an elementary school or middle school or high school or university. Last May, my now-fiancée and I cut our fifth-anniversary dinner short so that I could sprint home and write about nineteen dead elementary schoolers in Uvalde, Texas.

The local university radio station plays almost exclusively jazz, and it’s become our evening background music. We like it because there are no commercials, just an hourly break for news updates. We’ll be reading on the couch to the ambiance of smooth jazz, and then all of a sudden: “Three people are dead and two are wounded…” the DJ will announce, and I’ll tense up. “…after a shooting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota…”, he’ll continue, and my fiancée will make eye contact. “…at a local gas station,” he’ll finish, and I’ll breathe a visible sigh of relief. At least this one wasn’t at a school, I’ll think. Not this one, anyway.

I’m almost 36 years old, and this has been happening my entire life. When is it going to stop?

This article originally appeared in the March / April 2023 issue of Campus Security Today.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Campus Parking Problems: Modern Security Solutions

    Parking: for many, it’s an everyday fact of life. Whenever we drive somewhere, we must consider parking, and often, that parking experience sets our mood and expectations for the rest of the journey. Whether a quick grocery store pickup or long-term airport parking, the parking lot is an integral part of whatever type of campus you’re visiting. This includes destinations like retail stores, your local high school, hospitals, and the park-and-ride systems present in major cities. Read Now

  • The Critical Need for Naloxone on School Campuses

    The opioid crisis is escalating across the United States, increasingly affecting all segments of the population, including students on K-12 and college campuses. As the threat from opioids, especially fentanyl, becomes more widespread, it's critical for schools to have naloxone available—an antidote for opioid overdoses. This article discusses why naloxone should be as common as Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in educational settings. Read Now

  • Best Practices for A Holistic Approach to Video Solutions in Campus Security

    Video surveillance is one of the most common security measures implemented by educational institutions today, but installing cameras is just the beginning. Adopting a holistic, comprehensive approach to video surveillance is a more effective way to safeguard campus communities and fully realize the value of your investment in physical security systems. Read Now

  • Back to School Planning is a Year-Round Commitment

    With summer underway, K-12 and college students, faculty, and staff are taking a well-earned break to recharge and gear up for the fall. It’s also the season when security professionals can get in and get busy installing upgrades and retrofits before the new school year starts. It’s a brief window, but, thanks to diligent planning throughout the year, the pros are always ready to hit the ground running at the last bell of spring term to make the most out of the limited time available. Read Now

Most   Popular

Webinars

Whitepapers