All articles tagged with #school shootings
Michigan basketball coach Dusty May commented on the Sherrone Moore firing and recent school shootings, emphasizing the importance of being better humans and discussing how the team has addressed recent tragedies, including a shooting involving a player’s high school, while maintaining focus on their upcoming game.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vice President JD Vance have promoted unfounded theories linking SSRIs and psychiatric medications to violence and school shootings, despite scientific evidence disproving such connections, amid ongoing mass shootings in the U.S.
The article emphasizes the importance of honest, age-appropriate communication with children following school shootings, advocating for listening to their concerns, maintaining routines, limiting media exposure, and encouraging constructive actions like advocacy to help children cope with trauma and anxiety.
A CBS News report explores the emotional impact of school shootings by documenting the bedrooms of child victims, capturing the essence of lives abruptly ended. The project, involving photographer Lou Bopp, aims to evoke empathy and awareness by showcasing these preserved spaces, filled with personal items and memories. Families of victims from various shootings, including those in Nashville, Uvalde, and Parkland, share their stories, highlighting the ongoing struggle with grief and the decision to maintain or repurpose these rooms.
In the wake of relentless school shootings, scrutiny is extending beyond the shooters to include parents, school leaders, and city officials, with civil suits seeking accountability for the tragedies. Criminal charges against a Virginia school official and the sentencing of parents in Michigan reflect a shift in society's collective sense of responsibility. The rise in civil suits and novel criminal prosecutions, along with frustration over legislative inaction, is leading to increased efforts to hold gun manufacturers and sellers responsible for the deaths caused by their weapons. While some criminal prosecutions have come up empty, there appears to be a growing willingness to charge parents and officials when glaring failures contribute to school shootings.
Prosecutors are increasingly holding educators, parents, and others accountable for failing to prevent gun violence, with cases in Virginia, Michigan, and Illinois highlighting a new legal approach. A special grand jury report in Virginia detailed an assistant principal's criminal liability in failing to intervene before a 6-year-old shot his teacher, while in Michigan, a couple was sentenced to prison for their son's high school shooting. Legal experts believe these prosecutions could encourage similar cases, potentially impacting gun owners' responsibility for firearm access. Gun control advocates see this as a new form of accountability, while critics express concerns about shifting responsibility away from the shooter.
On the 11th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, President Joe Biden expressed frustration that the problem of gun violence in the United States is still unresolved. He called for Congress to pass universal background checks and ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. So far this year, there have been 37 school shootings resulting in injuries or deaths. Gun violence prevention organizations, such as Sandy Hook Promise, are urging people to speak up about potential attacks before they happen.
Thursday marked the 11th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where 26 students and staff were killed. Memorial services were held, but were expected to remain quiet and private. Lt. Paul Vance, who responded to the scene, described it as one of the worst scenes he had ever witnessed. Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization born out of the tragedy, continues to work towards gun violence prevention. Grief still remains for the families affected, and advocates are pushing for stronger gun laws. Connecticut has passed two rounds of gun laws, and schools have increased security measures. Despite these efforts, mass shootings continue to occur across the country. Governor Ned Lamont directed flags to be lowered to half-staff in remembrance of the victims.
The author reflects on the Oxford High School shooting, where a 15-year-old student killed four classmates and wounded several others. The author discusses the heartbreak and fear that comes with sending her own son to school, as well as the difficulty in comprehending the actions of a teenager capable of such violence. The shooter's sentencing to life in prison without parole raises questions about assigning adult responsibility to juvenile offenders, and the author's son's perspective reminds her that sometimes it's not as complicated as it seems.
A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that most school shootings orchestrated by teenagers in the US between 1990 and 2016 were not mass casualty events and were often related to community violence. The study found that the majority of these shootings involved handguns and were the result of interpersonal disputes. The researchers emphasize the need for differentiated solutions to address school shootings driven by community violence, as the perpetrators and motivations differ from those of mass shootings. The study also highlights the importance of responsible firearm storage by parents and the potential benefits of investing in community violence intervention programs.
The Michigan Supreme Court has refused to hear the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford school shooter. The couple is facing involuntary manslaughter charges for allegedly buying their son the gun used in the massacre and failing to inform the school about his troubling behavior. The decision allows the unprecedented charges against the parents to stand, making them the first parents in America charged in a mass school shooting. The Crumbleys could still plead guilty in exchange for potential leniency, but the prosecution would have to agree. The judge would have the final say.
Sandy Hook Promise, a violence prevention group, has released a powerful public service announcement (PSA) featuring well-known comedians reading real-life threats made by mass shooters before their attacks. The PSA, titled "Just Joking," aims to highlight the seriousness of these threats and encourage people to take them seriously and intervene to potentially prevent tragedy. The video emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs and speaking up, as previous school shooters have often made their plans public ahead of time. Sandy Hook Promise runs a free program called "Say Something" that provides students and teachers with tools to identify signs of violence and take action.
Dennis "DJ" Hernandez, the brother of late football star Aaron Hernandez, has been arrested for the fourth time this year after allegedly planning school shootings at the University of Connecticut and Brown University. Multiple individuals reported his erratic behavior and expressed concerns about his deteriorating mental health. An ex-girlfriend claimed that he had visited the campuses to "map the schools out" and was planning a school shooting. Police discovered threatening texts and social media posts, leading them to conclude that DJ Hernandez posed a grave danger to society. He was apprehended after attempting to flee and was ultimately subdued with a Taser. DJ Hernandez is currently in custody and facing charges of threatening.
Mashea Ashton, the principal of Digital Pioneers Academy in Washington, D.C., is outraged after four students were killed by gun violence in the span of one school year. The school, which serves predominantly at-risk students from low-income households, has become a microcosm of the ongoing struggle to curb gun violence and keep children, particularly Black children, safe in the nation's capital. Ashton is calling for more support and resources from the city, including additional counselors and nighttime programming for youths. She is also taking matters into her own hands by organizing summer activities and mentoring programs to keep students engaged and safe during the break.
President Biden called for stronger gun laws at a firearms safety summit in Connecticut, saying American children caught up in school shootings are suffering from the same trauma as soldiers in war. Despite one mass shooting after another in the United States, any effort to pass new gun control measures is almost certain to fail in the Republican-controlled House. However, Biden said Congress must find a way to tighten the laws and if it refuses to act, "we need a new Congress." The legislation already had an effect on violent crime in America, but Biden called it merely a "first step."