By Raisa Okwaras,
Forty-three more children have died from gun violence since the Uvalde slaughter. This brings the total death toll from gun violence to almost double in just one week. Such continues to raise concerns over gun safety and children safety in general.
On May 24, 2022, nineteen young children together with two of their educators were shot dead in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Apparently, a shooter had found his way through an opening in the school building and fired the gun at innocent children.
So far, 692 children have lost their lives due to gunfire in 2022. This brings the figure to 4.5 child deaths each day. Also, 1,716 children have been injured or wounded, an average of 11.2 each day. 2,408 children have been hit by gunfire, averaging 15.7 per day.
Irma Gracia, who was a fourth-grade teacher at Robb Elementary School, was one of the teachers who succumbed to the gun shooting. Sadly, the weight of her death weighed down her husband, Joe, who suffered a heart attack two days later, leading to his death too.
The parents of Andrea and Jose recall how inseparable the two were. They are grieving Jose and trying their best to keep close to Andrea, who managed to escape death through the window.
On the fateful day, Jose had just posed for a picture after receiving his honor roll certificate. Little did he know that was going to be his last picture as it was hours away from the deadly shooting.
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“Each time they left the house, we told him, ‘take care of your little sister.’ And we would tell her, ‘you have to take care of your brother too,” said Mr. Herrera, the father of Jose, who was one of the victims of the shooting.
According to Gun Violence Archive, 314,000 Americans lost their lives due to gun violence between 2014 and 2021. That figure alone is greater than any combat-related death count in any American war.
For instance, 291,000 people lost their lives in World War 2, a number that is not at par with how many people die at gunpoint. The 8-year total in itself accounts for 47 percent of all combat deaths in all American wars altogether.
So, how safe are our children in schools, and why are gunfire killings on the rise?
What are your thoughts concerning the Uvalde school shooting? Comment below.
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