Who’s to Blame?

In Santa Clarita, California on November 14, a 16 year old school shooter shot down 5 Saugus High School students. He killed two students and injured 3.  With the rise of school shootings, we need to consider the current control we have over guns. There comes a time when we need to take a stand against the lack of restrictions we have concerning firearms.

When it comes to school shootings, it’s easy to point the blame to those who spend everyday with the shooter. Students are often told to look out for the signs of a school shooter and to always be aware of any students that show suspicious behavior. Examples of these signs include obsessions with guns, bullying and isolation. But these signs aren’t always apparent in real life. 

Not every school shooter exhibits the same obvious signs, like posting photos of their weapons. This specific 16 year old shooter was said to be social and was involved in multiple student activities. There was no way for anyone to know what he was going to do, much less prevent it. 

It shouldn’t be the student’s responsibility to watch every one of their classmates diligently for these elusive signs. Instead of blaming the weapon and the shooter, this mentality often puts the blame on the victimized students instead. 

The idea that bullying causes school shootings is a ludicrous idea as well. School shooters have primarily been white, cisgendered, males. If bullying was the causation of school shootings, then school shooters would more often be those who are bullied the most. People of color and LGBTQ+ members would likely be apart of the school shooter statistic, since they are objectively the most oppressed groups. The Saugus High School shooter, who was a white, straight male, was allegedly a part of many clubs and was anything but a loner. He was accepted by his peers and generally social. There seemed to be no sign of bullying.   

Every time a school shooting occurs, we are reluctant to make active changes. Shootings should be clear calls for action to prevent more tragedies. The only clear solution to this epidemic is to take weapons out of kids hands. Restrictions are necessary to making a safer environment for students. Students shouldn’t feel like they’re risking their lives to get an education.