What’s Missing From the Conversation About Threats of Gun Violence in Schools

In the wake of the Georgia school shooting, there has been a significant increase in threats of gun violence and guns showing up on school grounds across the country. We have seen this play out locally, here in Charleston County. School operations were interrupted, children were suspended, and even local high school football games were canceled, cut short, or proceeded without fans. Is there anything we are not willing to give up in the name of deference to the gun lobby and their puppets in the South Carolina Republican party? 

My three children are students in the Charleston County School District. This week I have received multiple district-wide and school-specific communications regarding the increase of threats and their spread on social media. Last night I received another message from the district superintendent that included an 11-minute “Fireside Chat” video regarding the threats the district has received. 

My 7th grader did not want to go to school on Thursday and she asked me to promise her it wouldn’t happen at her school. My 2nd and 4th graders had an unprompted conversation in the car yesterday about their active shooter drills including where they hide, if they get lollipops, what weapons the school resource officer has, and why the people in the front office are in the most danger (because the bad guy will come through the front door). Charleston County School District is not unique. These threats are happening everywhere. They are robbing our children of a sense of physical and psychological safety in one of the places they should feel the most secure, their classrooms. 

I want to pause for a moment to thank our children’s teachers and school staff. The work they do every day to protect our children in these challenging times is commendable. So, thank you. I also want to acknowledge that gun violence disproportionately affects Black and Brown youth in this country, and school gun violence represents a tiny fraction of the shootings that involve youth in this country. 

As a gun violence prevention advocate and researcher, I am incredibly frustrated (but not at all surprised) by what is missing from these communications to parents and students. We don’t hesitate to put the burden of this public health crisis on our children by teaching them to be on the lookout for potential school shooters (if you see something, say something), to know when and how to share concerning information, to understand the consequences of spreading rumors online or in group texts, to know where to hide if it happens in their school. But somehow, we, the adults in the room DO hesitate to talk about the one thing that would IMMEDIATELY make our schools and communities safer: LOCKING UP OUR GUNS. 

A conversation about mitigating the risks of school gun violence that does not include encouraging adult gun owners to keep their guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition to reduce child access is woefully missing the mark. We know that 13 million children live in a home with a gun. We know that approximately 4.6 million children live in a home with at least one unlocked, loaded gun. We know that 3 out of 4 of the guns that are used in school shootings (when the shooter is under the age of 18) come from the home of the shooter or the home of a friend or relative. Secure firearm storage is an evidence-based method to prevent child access to firearms, reducing unintentional shootings, youth suicide, AND guns showing up on school grounds. 

So why in the world did the district communicate multiple times with all district parents this week and not share this information? Why are we so comfortable putting this burden on our children when we aren’t willing to do our own part? In fact, why did none of these messages to parents include the word “gun” or “firearm”? 

Because, politics. 

Because, in the wake of these horrific shootings that terrorize our communities, the Republican party is willing to talk about anything, ANYTHING, except for guns.

Because we live in a state with a Republican supermajority that consistently prioritizes the gun lobby over our children’s safety and well-being. It’s because of South Carolina Republicans that we don’t have a secure storage law that would require adult gun owners to prevent child access by securely storing their firearms. 

It’s because of South Carolina Republicans that we don’t have a red flag law that would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from the home of someone who is deemed (through due process) to be an imminent risk to themselves or someone else (like the 14-year-old Georgia shooter who had previously threatened a school shooting). 

It’s because of South Carolina Republicans that we don’t have a ban on assault weapons or high-capacity magazines that would prevent weapons of war from showing up in our children’s classrooms. 

There is a direct link between a state’s gun law strength and the rate of gun violence in that state. The Surgeon General has unequivocally called gun violence a public health crisis in America. A comprehensive public health approach to addressing this public health crisis would obviously include secure storage education AND advocacy for gun laws that are proven to reduce gun violence. But the Republican party refuses to set politics aside to protect our kids. (But don’t worry, they are more committed than ever to protecting our kids from the dangers of books, tampons and drag queens. What a relief. Heroes, all of them.)

If we expect our students to play a role in reducing school gun violence, we certainly must expect the same from adult gun owners and our lawmakers. We have to stop the dangerous infiltration of politics into public health. We have to talk about secure firearm storage as a means to reduce the incidence of school gun violence. We have to stand up to the gun lobby and the Republicans who do their bidding. We have to hold our lawmakers accountable for jeopardizing our children’s safety. 

So, if you care more about our children’s safety than you do about the NRA’s guns everywhere agenda, please pledge to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot on November 5th. Because they will put our children’s interests ahead of the interests of the NRA. 

And also PLEASE store your guns locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.