Gun violence continues to be a tragic issue in our country and while many Americans are divided on what should be done about the issue, students at Grand Rapids Community College feel disappointed at the lack of drive U.S. leaders have to resolve the problem.
Virginia Stiles, an 18-year-old from Colorado, grew up near Columbine High school, home to a horrific school shooting in 1999 that ended with over 20 injured and 15 deceased, including the two teenage shooters. She said while in school, she would think about where to go if someone ever decided to open fire.
“I always would have scenarios, no matter where I was I knew where I would go if someone were to shoot up the school because it’s such a real thing now,” she said. “… I feel sad that nothing is really being done about it. I mean people are trying but they’re not getting to the source of the issue.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 426 mass shootings so far this year in the U.S. as of Oct. 21.
Grace Gamble, 19, of Grand Rapids, said the shootings in our country have given her anxiety in public.
“It’s something that’s just always in the back of my mind, no matter where I go, nowhere ever really feels safe,” she said.
With fire-arm related injuries are now the leading cause of death in teens and children, gun violence has inevitably been addressed in schools across the country. The Pew Research Center says, “about 1 in 4 public school teachers experienced a gun-related lockdown” in the 2023-2024 school year.
Brenda Duran, a graphic media management major, said she was involved in a lockdown in grade school.
“When I was in elementary or middle school there was a threat that a student was gonna bring a gun in, and we had a big ‘ol lockdown so we couldn’t walk out of classrooms without a teacher,” Duran said.
The Sandy Hook Promise states nearly every person that has committed a mass shooting at a school “shared threatening or concerning images” online. That being said, in the past few months, there have been multiple reported threats to local schools causing shutdowns, many due to threats circulating on social media.
Jenison Public schools closed on Sept.13 as a result of an alarming post indicating violence spread on Snapchat. Along with that, Three Rivers Community schools canceled class from Sept.12 – 13 due to rumors on social media.
Other districts, including Byron Center and Grandville, closed in September to enforce safety after threats were reported.
Ariyonna France, 17, recently graduated from East Kentwood High school where she said they received threats that made her feel nervous at school.
“Everytime I hear a loud thing I get really scared, I pause, fight or flight,” she said.
Illinois native Raymond Liberato suggests while there are many factors to gun violence, applying education around guns could potentially help the problem. He also said he believes people aren’t inherently violent, stating, “I don’t think people would, in their most purest form, resort to gun violence if they didn’t have to.”
Collegiate Reporters Grace Howard, Rebeca Lopez Vizcarra and Rosalia Jimenez contributed to this report.
