Almost every person in America is aware of school shootings; unfortunately, the country had to suffer yet another on October 6, 2021. 

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Though these events are rare, they can happen all over the country -  this particular event taking place in Arlington, Texas at Timberview High school. The accused gunman behind the shooting was Timothy George Simpkins, who brought a .45 caliber gun to school and started to fire.

 

After firing, Simpkins fled the scene in a 2018 silver Dodge Charger. Witnesses were able to describe this car to authorities, and soon multiple agencies (including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshalls) were on the lookout. Simpkins turned himself in on Wednesday afternoon with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

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Many parents had no idea what was going on, and had to rush to the scene after receiving a text, tweet, or hearing one call. 

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According to the Fox 4 News Staff, many only saw one text, much like Akhere Isenalumhe who was, “‘...trying to relax when I got this text message from my daughter’…’We are all confused. We just don't know what's going on. This is just too close to home. We never thought something like this would happen right here in our backyard…’” 

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Though it may seem as if there is only one side to the story, Simpkins’s mother released additional information to the press, noting that he was being bullied and after getting in a fight with another student, fired an unknown amount of bullets, injuring students and faculty in the process. According to Fox 4, family member Carl Harrison Lafayette states, “‘The decision he made, taking the gun, we are not justifying that. That was not right...But he was trying to protect himself. We hope the police department does the investigation properly.’”

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According to statistica.com, there have been 170 school shootings from January until September, 2021. 164 of these shootings weren’t active shooters; 6 were active. For reference, the largest number of active school shooters was 11 in 2018. 

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As the years progress, school shootings are becoming a part of everyday life.   How our nation stops these atrocities and protects family and friends remains unknown.

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Works Cited

 

Rabb, Murray, Anglin, Sentendrey, Dial, S. R. S. M. D. A. D. S. S. D. (2021). Timberview High School shooting leaves four injured; suspect arrested. Timberview High School Shooting Leaves Four Injured; Suspect Arrested. Published.  https://www.fox4news.com/news/school-shooting-reported-at-timberview-high-school-in-arlington

 

Statista Research Department, & 4, O. (2021, October 4). Number of K-12   school shootings U.S. 2021. Statista. Retrieved November 3, 2021, fromhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/971473/number-k-12-school-shootings-us/.