Shootings have increased since the beginning of the year in Oregon. Recently, a danger was on the premises of South Salem High School. Since the beginning of the year to March, there have been 268 shooting incidents in Oregon. This not only concerns the state of Oregon but the entire country.
The alarming part to students is that there was a danger on the premises of South Salem High School. Students could have been injured or even worse, killed. People aren’t surprised by school shootings or shootings in general at all. In fact, school shootings appear to be normalized. No one was injured in the incident that occurred at South Salem High School, but there still was an immediate threat in the building. Students were told how the suspect was apprehended as well as how it came to the attention of Salem police. No other details were released as the suspect is a minor. Since then, there has been an increase in security, but to keep all places of education safe, lawmakers around the country must take action to prevent this from occurring again. School is a place where kids learn and grow to be bigger people, not where their lives can be taken in a matter of seconds.
On top of the instance that occurred at the high school the state of Oregon has had plenty of cases of shootings, one affecting many citizens of Oregon. On April 10th, 2023, the I-5 was closed due to a suspect being shot and killed by Oregon State Police. The suspect was holding a driver at gunpoint and was later shot and killed by police leading to the I-5 being closed for the rest of the day. This incident proves that a shooting can happen anywhere at any time of the day.
The topic of gun safety and shootings is hard to discuss as no matter the outcome it will always upset someone, but it must be discussed. Getting rid of gun violence won’t be easy but small actions make big impacts. The security of all United States citizens is a right that all should have. It is important to be active and optimistic in hopes for a brighter future for the state of the country and all individuals.
