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Yesterday, my community was rocked by a school shooting in nearby Winder, Georgia. Two children and two teachers were killed at Apalachee High School by a 14-year-old shooter. Today, I dropped my kids off at their elementary school and went home to research bulletproof backpacks.

I don’t want to say that enough is enough right now. It was enough when Columbine happened. It was enough when Sandy Hook happened. Uvalde. Parkland. I could go on. We’ve all heard of them. Columbine happened when I was in high school. Now, I’m raising children who aren’t just practicing fire and tornado drills. They have active shooter drills, too.

Yes, the elementary school here has locked doors, cameras, and safety officers on campus. But it’s not enough. I went to a school in Memphis that required metal detectors and backpack checks. While it was occasionally frustrating when I was running late for class, it was a measure of protection that I appreciated — and would certainly appreciate now for my children.

Preparing for Mass Shooter Events

All the preparation in the world isn’t going to stop a bad guy with a gun. Even good guys with guns aren’t necessarily going to stop tragedies from happening. But here’s what would help: Common-sense gun regulations from our lawmakers.

When I drive into the office, I see a big sign that says God & Guns. It always strikes me as strangely humorous that someone went online and purchased a sign advertising their commitment to both religion and a weapon that can cause harm as if those two things automatically go together. In the United States, maybe they do. Because some people are more committed to their gun ownership than to protecting the youth of America.

The reality is that no one is looking to take away guns from responsible gun owners. No one cares about hunting rifles and home protection weaponry. What we care about is someone coming in and taking away the lives we love because there were no barriers to them accessing the weapons in the first place.

My state has been particularly reckless with firearm legislation. In the state of Georgia, while minors aren’t legally allowed to purchase or carry guns, adults here don’t need a permit to buy or own a gun, and they don’t have to register them. They also don’t need a license to carry concealed. We have some of the worst gun legislation in the country, ranking 46 out of 50 according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

It’s not unreasonable to hope that lawmakers will see this most recent tragedy as proper motivation to enact literally any legislation around permits, registration, or background checks. While a child accessed the firearm, there’s no information available yet as to how this happened — or how it might have been prevented through simple barriers to legal access.

Mental Health and Missing the Point

Many people will point to mental health issues as the cause of the tragedy, not access to the gun. Mental health issues are a contributing factor to mass shootings, but they aren’t the only factor. Without firearm access, we wouldn’t be a community in mourning for students and teachers.

The problem with blaming tragedies like this on mental health issues is that it further stigmatizes them, making getting help even harder for those who need it. Furthermore, as a mental health clinician, I can easily say that therapy is not accessible or affordable to many who need it — particularly when so many middle and lower-class families are living paycheck-to-paycheck. While school counselors do what they can, the real issue is that we have a mental health crisis in the country that just isn’t being addressed.

Statistics from June of this year show that the vast majority of shooters are male and white. The majority obtained the guns used in mass shootings through legal means. Another study into mass shootings showed that most of the perpetrators of these violent crimes had a history of violence, domestic violence, and/or a prior criminal record, which is why background checks, permits, and registration can be so important. Many of these shooters also have suicidal tendencies with many ending their lives after taking so many.

Blaming mental health issues is missing the point. Rather than stigmatizing those who struggle with mental healthcare, it’s imperative to address this crisis more practically by broadening access to affordable and accessible mental health services. Being able to better assess mental health needs and the existence of suicide ideation could help underserved populations get the care they need before they become victims or perpetrators.

Bulletproof Backpacks and Backpack Inserts

After a little research, I can’t recommend a particular bulletproof backpack or backpack insert. I can say that there are plenty of companies that make them. The problem with these backpacks and inserts is that they are meant to protect from handguns, not semi-automatic rifles, which are typically used in mass shootings.

Beyond that, it’s not practical to think that a child would be carrying a backpack during an active shooting incident, as students don’t just walk around with their backpacks on all day. They’re also heavy, which adds a layer of difficulty to a child being able to carry it and run. While they might act as a layer of protection, they aren’t a guarantee of safety. Depending on the protection level, they might not even be effective against the average school shooter weapon. Furthermore, the ones that would protect them against a semi-automatic weapon are often too expensive for the majority of families — particularly those with multiple children.

Raising a Child in an Active Shooter Landscape

My son has anxiety about active shooter drills. He comes home to tell me that some students don’t take it seriously. He’s afraid that their noisy behavior is going to get him killed. He’s autistic, and he doesn’t always understand that a drill is a way to practice for a possible event. Sometimes, he thinks it might be the real thing. Even when he’s assured it’s not real, he wonders if one day it will be.

I wonder about that, too. It’s my fear every time I see them walk through those doors and out of my care. Anything can happen, but the incredibly short-sighted gun laws in my state make gun violence an ever-present worry for many parents, teachers, and school staff.

Enough has been enough. Thoughts and prayers aren’t going to fix this. We need reasonable precautions in schools and even more reasonable laws around who can access firearms.

Hope Springs Counseling Community Support Hour: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, 3-4pmPhoto byHope Springs Counseling