Parkland Shooting

Parkland Shooting

Yesenia Diaz, Staff Writer

Schools all around the United States were left shocked when the news of the shooting on February 14th in Parkland, Florida had been reported to those all around the United States. Many schools have used this as a push to strengthen their security to make sure this does not happen again.

Students participated in the national walkout that was organized to protest for the actions that are needed to keep students from all over the United States safe and  to prevent this from happening again. Students of Arroyo walked out at 10 a.m. and went to Rally Square for 17 minutes to honor the names of those whose lives were taken on February 14th.

“[I thought of] the safety of the students first. That our kids would stay safe and be orderly and really the people who would participate would understand what it’s about and not just think it’s time to be out of class,” said Ms. Gonzalez.

Many may have heard of the horrendous shooting in Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 students and staff members were murdered while many others were injured and left emotionally distraught from what they had just witnessed. The person suspected to be behind the shooting on February 14th is Nikolas Cruz, a former student of Stoneman Douglas High School, who walked into the school with an AR-15, ammunition cartridges, and smoke grenades then proceeded to set of the fire alarm where the massacre began.

Prior to the shooting, many had suspected Nikolas would go down a dark path after the death of his mother who had been at the blunt of Cruz’s attacks towards herself and his own brother. On numerous occasions, the police were called to stop Nikolas’s wrath and prevent those around him from being injured. Members outside the family suspected the dark thoughts inside Cruz’s mind and he was reported twice to the FBI in fear that one day he act upon his thoughts.

Even after the numerous reports about Nikolas’s strange behavior, police and the FBI did not follow up or suspect anything regarding Nikolas Cruz or what may happen if the alleged reports of him were true. Many think these allegations may have stopped the shooting if they were further investigated.

After the shooting, students of Stoneman Douglas High School have begun protesting and calling for stronger gun control laws and background checks. They have also begun planning protests in the month of March to give membrance to those who were killed in the shooting. Such as a National School Walkout where students all around the U.S. walk out of class at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes on March 14 or April 20.

The actions taken to prevent this from happening again are still being talked about amongst the president and political officials. Although some suggestions have been made by the president nothing has been made official. Donald Trump has presented ideas of letting school teachers and staff members be trained to hold a weapon in class and use it if needed. This idea has been shot down by the school staff and families.

Nikolas has gone to trial and has been given his punishment for the mass murder he committed. According to Independent, he was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors have announced their plan to seek the death penalty for Cruz’s case but Cruz’s public defender has stated that Nikolas is willing to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.

On February 14th of 2018, an event that changed the lives of students and staff members who experienced the shooting and people all around the United States. It has inspired people to seek for the renewal and advancements in gun control laws and background checks for the purchase of guns for the safety of everyone in the United States. Let’s the US makes the right decision.

 

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