What is a school? A school is designed to be a safe haven for children to go to five days a week to receive an education. What happens when a student steps into his or her school one morning with a weapon, and immediately erases any sense of peace and safety that once existed there? What causes a child to intentionally fire on fellow classmates and faculty? What could possibly be done to prevent these situations? The killers behind the Columbine High School, Thurston High School, and Heath High School shootings have shown the American public just how quickly a school can become a place that no longer feels safe. These threatening children must be sought out before another school becomes nationally recognized for a shooting. In some cases, killers are not shaped by society, but by genetics. This was a major factor in Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s decision to shoot up …show more content…
The killers behind the Columbine High School, Thurston High School, and Heath High School shootings all had different reasons for committing their crimes, but the signs were ever present. Mental illness, obsession with guns and other weapons, deviant behavior, and hatred openly expressed to others or in homework assignments are the most common ones. Because school shootings have become something to be feared, it is time that faculty and students actively seek out those who may do something rash. If a teacher notices that something is off with a student, he or she should at least pull the student aside and express possible concerns. If a student sees or hears something that may be a threat to the safety of others, he or she should report it. In many cases, a school shooting could have been prevented if the perpetrator had someone with whom he or she felt comfortable discussing his or her