“The problem is that we have politicians in our country who are beholden to the gun lobby. And either based on ambition or fear, they go to work every day doing their bidding while the gun lobby lines its pockets with the blood of our children,” Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock said, as he called Americans, and Georgians specifically, sitting ducks. The senator recommends that politicians realign their values toward the people who have been hurt by gun violence.
My own life has been influenced and impacted by the threat of gun violence in schools. I had friends who talked about metal detectors being put into their schools, and we were only allowed to use clear backpacks.
Wednesday, Sept. 4, a 14-year-old opened fire in Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. Two students and two teachers have died, and multiple others have been injured. Both the teenager, Colt Gray, and his father have been arrested. This is the 46th school shooting this year. 46 too many.
In the span of a school day, Gray’s life has drastically changed. Gray faces four counts of felony murder and is being tried as an adult. In Georgia, any person over the age of 13 who is charged with murder is tried as an adult. For a minor to be tried in this way means they may receive a longer or more serious sentence. It also means that some protections for young offenders, such as suppression of name, picture or records, may be waived. The maximum penalty that Gray is facing is life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole.
Gray’s father, Colin Gray, is facing 14 charges. These charges are two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children. If he is convicted of these charges, he faces a maximum of 180 years in prison. Colin Gray has been charged because he gifted Gray the rifle that was used in the shooting.
Since the shooting in Georgia, numerous students have been taken into custody for school shooting threats. USA Today reports a 15-year-old near Winder was taken into custody for making threats about “finishing the job.” The following Tuesday, a 12-year-old in Texas was charged for making a “terroristic threat causing fear” after making school shooting threats. This young student also showcased firearms during a Facetime call. Several schools have decided to close, lockdown or increase security due to the increasing threats.
When I was a Kentucky high school senior in 2021, I remember being at youth group one night, and one of the girls was sharing that she had to evacuate school the day before because of a bomb threat. Six different schools were threatened. No one was arrested, and no explosives were found. While this is no comparison to the tragedy that has recently occurred in Georgia, it shows that Kentucky and the schools around us are not immune.
I remember my first active shooter drill in elementary school. I remember thinking that active shooters were only adults, not students. It wasn’t until late middle school or early high school that I realized it was also students who were committing these crimes. I remember President Obama addressing Oregon after the Umpqua Community College shooting in 2015.
I do not pretend to have a solution for the end of in-school violence. Instead, I would like to offer a prayer.
Lord Jesus, we recognize that your people are hurting. We lift up these cries to you. We pray that you will give us the strength to love our enemies like you have asked us to do. Jesus, we pray for more grace, more compassion and more empathy for our brothers and sisters who have been affected by the tragedy in Georgia and across our nation. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen
