For many of us when we heard about the school shooting that occurred at Oxford Michigan, the first thing we thought was that we go to a school every day. Consequently the lives of 4 high school students were tragically taken on November 30th, 2021. The students in Oxford barricaded their classroom to keep the shooter out.

The Shooting

First Sophomore Ethan Crumbley was seen searching for gun ammunition on his phone. According to the Washington Post the same day he was seen searching for ammunition, his teacher found a disturbing note with a drawing of a bloody figure on his desk. Something was clearly not right here, and Ethan’s teacher reported this to the main office. It’s interesting, no disturbing that no action was taken based on these findings. The same article stated that Ethan’s parents were called into the school by administration for a meeting where they ordered Ethans parents to find him counseling within the next 48 hours. The school tried to take action but given the circumstances it wasn’t soon enough. Ethan was then sent back to class, his backpack unchecked. Hours later he pulled a semi-automatic handgun out, and turned it on his classmates. He tragically took the life of 4 of his classmates. Many mourned over the loss of the students, and the news made sure this story was heard.

Community Backlash

 Furthermore the community and students of Oxford were terrified and highly criticized the way the school district handled the issue. According to the Washington Post the school district said that Crumbley’s parents confirmed his lies about why he was searching for ammunition. Many students and parents disagreed because of all the signs that Ethan was going to do something. A video taken on a student’s phone during the school shooting shows the students in a corner huddled up. The students were horrified and this situation should have been avoided, argued many. 

Life in the U.S

In addition students across the U.S are in almost constant threat of school shootings. Shootings are so frequent in America. When interviewing an anonymous SPASH senior they said, “I never feel in danger but there is the constant threat of our school being shot up.” Many students aren’t scared because this is the way life is in America. It’s very different from when our grandparents, or even when our parents were in school. The same student said, “More security would be nice for lots of schools around the world. I think it would make lots of students feel safer in their environment.” Many schools have security and it’s not that uncommon. While interviewing another SPASH student Brody Harlow he raised some concerns saying, “They could have a couple[metal detectors] but it would be costly to have metal detectors at the doors, and it would be time consuming. These are good points because not all schools have the money or resources to have that much security.  

All in all school shootings are tragic and all too frequent. Students in Michigan mourn the loss of the 4 people whose lives were taken that day. Many students and parents are scared or have been involved in some type of incident. Hopefully students around the U.S and in SASH stay safe.