Quoting Andy Slavitt, a public health and funding expert: We have a mental health crisis.
We have a gun crisis.
But mostly we have an acceptance crisis.
This school has police on campus. The student had been expelled. A local,poster mentioned that there are various entry points to the school, which was probably the problem.
Local news hasn’t identified those killed, but I did hear about a teacher.
The NY Times is reporting that the killer had a history of behavioral problems that were no secret.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/us/nikolas-cruz-florida-shooting.html
Hug your children every damn day. Donate your blood. Be kind to your children’s teachers; we worry about your children every day.
A little side note, but at least 2 dozen psychologists are prepping to be on campus tomorrow. Almost every minute, another person signs up.
Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. we screen our mutual funds to assure they do not contain gun or tobacco stock. We need to work on these issues locally. Maryland is working on a bill to stop people with domestic violence convictions from buying guns. And on and on.
It may be that the shooting was so meticulously planned that it was nearly impossible to prevent. According to one student whom was interviewed, the perpetrator pulled a fire alarm lever. Sounds like he planned a diversion to cover his entry into the building. Moreover, reportedly there are police on duty at the school every day. He avoided them somehow.
Reportedly, this week Parkland was ranked or voted the safest city in the Florida.
Where. Did. He. Get. The. Gun? AR-15s don’t grow on trees. You prevent these mass shootings by preventing the perpetrator from getting the gun.
@“Cardinal Fang” – you can buy AR-15s at Walmart.
No you can’t. Walmart stopped selling it in 2015.
Give me a good reason why any civilian should own an AR-15. Would love to know.
But they are legal to buy, and he’s over 18 and could just buy one.
Most of the school shootings have taken place in suburban, safe communities.
Where are the parents in this? He was expelled from school, had a history of violent threats, where did to he get the funds to purchase the weapons? If he was “on his own” without a high school diploma it’s doubtful he’d have a job where he could pay his own living expenses and have the extra funds to buy guns and ammo. I don’t care if he’s over 18 now I think the parents maybe also responsible for this.
An article I read in the Sun Sentinel seemed to indicate that the shooter’s parents are deceased, that he was living with a friend’s family, and that he worked at a Dollar Tree. Another article said that he bought the weapon legally.
I think thoughts and prayers is an easy way out so people don’t have to examine their own value systems. Withought conversations and debate we can expect more of the same. Other countries have the same mental health and poverty issues but don’t resort to this type of carnage.
I’m sick and I know nothing will change.
Senseless and avoidable. DO SOMETHING DAMMIT!
The school shooting in Parkland, Florida today marks the 29th mass shooting in the US in 2018. There have only been 45 days in 2018.
Let that sink in
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Where are the parents in this?<<
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Well if his parents are dead and he turned 18, the state foster system is done with him, and that’s something that should change.
It has been reported that many students were aware this guy was off and feared him, apparently if there was a “most likely to do this” discussion, he would get the most votes. He was killing animals (and boasting about it) and showing off his guns and knives on social media. One article even mentioned that administrators had warned teachers about him.
In the era of “if you see something, say something” is there a place a kid can call or forward something anonymously to report such suspicions/scary postings/rantings/display of weapons? To someone at school or to law enforcement? It can be very difficult for a young person to report these things even to their parent, yet some kind of authority like the police. But it would be good if there was a way for them to do so - with social media, the kids see it way before the adults do.
Ok, if it were to be reported, where would it be reported and then what? Right now, our mental health system cannot hold people age 18 plot older unless they are an imminent danger of serious bodily injury to themselves or other people. That’s a very tough threshold that has to be met. To get treatment when the person doesn’t want it requires court orders.
I agree more needs to be done, starting many years ago or at least now.