Walking into 3rd hour, we felt the mood sink as news of the Annunciation school shooting spread amongst our BSM community. Unable to access our phones and complete information, we were unaware of the gravity of the situation as the student body rumbled with commotion. We also felt powerless and uneducated. We carried on the school day with pits in our stomachs as many emails were sent, cancelling most after-school activities.
“It so easily could have been us,” was the thought that filled our heads. “It could have been my sister. That could have been my sister’s elementary school.” And for some people, it was. Some BSM students are Annunciation alums with direct connections to the school, including siblings. Annunciation School and church are only an eighteen-minute drive from BSM. We need to find a way to prevent school shootings from happening again.
The bell rang, and the school day ended. As we walked outside into the parking lot, police cars lined the curb outside the school, and fear lingered in students and parents alike. Kids were crying as they walked to their parents, and the reality sank in that we still needed to go to school the next day. With homework still to be done, it was impossible to focus, knowing so many people were suffering within our community.
Looking through social media, we saw headlines upon headlines about the shooting. Students began to repost these headlines across various social media platforms, specifically Instagram. Each story you viewed was a picture of a student who was either lost or suffering. A commonly reposted quote was, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said.
We reposted these news stories alongside other BSM students, working to spread awareness of the shooting and gun violence. Everyone needs to know what happened, so we can take steps to prevent future violence. Frey is right: while thoughts and prayers for Annunciation are important, they alone will not stop school shootings.
Gun violence and school shootings have been somewhat desensitized in society, and that’s not okay. School shootings should not be normal. They are terrifying. Many students now have a fear of learning and a fear of going to school because of this violence; kids should not be scared to go to school.
Following the shooting, BSM students and teachers cut out green and blue paper hearts—Annunciation’s school colors—to hang up on outside windows to show support for the school. BSM also prayed an all-school rosary for the Annunciation community near the end of the week at an invitation from Archbishop Hebda, at the same time as other Catholic schools in the nation.
These actions were important and helped unify the BSM community, but other actions must also be taken to prevent school shootings in the future.
The next week, we had a lockdown drill where we locked all our school doors and shut off the lights. It’s an issue that this lockdown drill had to happen in the first place—only recently have school shootings threatened our community. Furthermore, this drill doesn’t adequately prepare someone for a shooting; instead, there should be gun laws and increased security in place so these drills don’t need to happen.
“We can’t change the past,” Annunciation principal Matthew DeBoer said. “But we can do something about the future. There’s an African proverb that says, ‘When you pray, move your feet.’… So I beg you, and I ask you to please pray, but don’t stop with your words. Let’s make a difference and support this community, these children, these families and teachers, never again can we let this happen.”
Possible actions include federal gun laws and regulations, better surveillance systems in schools, increased background checks for those who are allowed to purchase guns, or banning assault weapons completely. Your gun does not matter more than a child’s life, and it never will.
We implore you: do not forget that this shooting occurred. Do not brush it under the rug. It is not a normal occurrence and should not be treated as such. Remember and recognize Annunciation and the other schools that have been affected by such a tragedy. Then, push for change, because until you do, the violence won’t end.