With the latest incident of Shooting at a School in the US Southeastern State of Florida on February 14, 2018, the number of School Shooting Incidents in the United States this year has reached 18, raising serious questions related to the growing violent environment in US Schools.
The fresh incident took 17 lives and wounded 14 further at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland City of Florida State.
The 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz – a former Student at the same School who had been expelled for disciplinary reasons – was allegedly involved in the firing and taken into Custody. He reportedly pulled the fire alarm and caused chaos in the school before opening the fire with an AR-15 rifle.
Though the investigation continues to reach the fact as what led Nikolas Cruz to resort to committing such crime but as per a report by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund – an independent and nonprofit organization – the Florida School Shooting Incident was the 18th in the first 45 days of 2018.
Prior to it, The Metropolitan High School located in New York City was targeted on February 8, 2018. While three days earlier as on February 5, 2018, two separate Shooting Incidents struck Harmony Learning Center in Maplewood City of Minnesota State and Oxon Hill High School at Oxon Hill area of Maryland State.
On February 2, 2018, Salvador B. Castro Middle School at Los Angeles City in California State came under fire whereas Lincoln High School at Philadelphia City in Pennsylvania State met the same fate on January 31, 2018.
Likewise, Dearborn High School at Dearborn City in Michigan State was targeted on January 26, 2018; Murphy High School at Mobile City in Alabama State on January 25, 2018; Marshall County High School at Benton City in Kentucky State on January 23, 2018; The NET Charter High School at Gentilly City in Louisiana State and Italy High School Italy Town in Texas State on January 22, 2018; Wake Forest University at Winston-Salem City in North Carolina State on January 20, 2018; Wiley College at Marshall City in Texas State on January 15, 2018; Grayson College at Denison City in Texas State, California State University at San Bernardino City in California State, and Coronado Elementary School at Sierra Vista City in Arizona State on January 10, 2018; New Start High School at Seattle City in Washington State on January 4, 2018; while East Olive Elementary School at St. Johns City in Michigan State was targeted on January 3, 2018.
Overall 290 School Shooting Incidents have occurred in the United States since 2013, and an attack at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg Town of Virginia State on April 16, 2007 – which left 32 people dead – was the third deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
We are grieving with Parkland. But we are not powerless. Caring for our kids is our first job. And until we can honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, common-sense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 15, 2018