In light of a school shooting in Michigan, the colorful infographics published and reposted throughout Instagram have returned, stating “4 were lost” in big bold letters. 

The news stations blindly covered this story, their monotonous voices speaking as if it had been the weather, not four children, who lost their lives at the trigger of a gun. 

Truthfully, I had not immediately checked my local news station after learning what happened. I heard it from word of mouth, “there was another school shooting.” I stopped. 

There had been another school shooting. 

This phrase, while absolutely devastating, has become so normalized.  In that exact moment, people send their condolences, but within the next hour, their brain fearfully forgets, failing to face the reality that is forced upon our youth. People are desensitized to school shootings. Children never know at which point someone will have a “breaking point” and kill multiple within their own classroom.

In the Michigan school shooting, counselors were informed that the student was involved in suspicious activities before the shooting even occurred. They did neither informed the principal nor search his backpack, but instead had a meeting with his parents, telling them that they had 24 hours to get him evaluated before Child Protective Services had to be called. After this, they promptly sent him back to class where he shot multiple people.

In cases like this, the simple question constantly begs, would you rather be safe or sorry? Not immediately reporting incidents like these to administrators or direct authority may often result in the latter. At what point do virtue and ego overrule safety?

The schools need to provide students with mental health resources, whether that be the evaluation of their health or more support than is currently offered. If a student is deemed a threat to any of those around them, why keep them within the school? At that point, they could be getting the necessary help, far away from putting other lives at risk. The mental health of all students is important, especially when one student’s mental health can put their peers at risk.

And now, I ask, as a student, when does it stop? I’m in my senior year of high school, and I can admit there was never a point throughout my education where students felt completely safe within school buildings or isolated from the threat of a peer pulling the trigger of a gun.

When does the fear stop?  When do the deaths stop?

When will the necessary legislation that will allow students to feel safe again come into fruition?

When can we stop desensitizing mass shootings and deaths of children?

When can we linger on this issue for more than a day, more than a month, and finally get some progress?

When will parents stop fearing for their child’s life every time they walk into school doors?

It’s time to act. Before another life is lost. Because the next shooting could be at your school, your child’s school. And who will be to blame for the inaction then?