Townville Shooting

Two weeks ago a fourteen-year-old boy killed his father and then went to a local elementary school and shot two young children and a teacher. One of the children has died. So far, I haven’t heard of any motive that they boy would have had for coming to the school and acting so violently. The boy killed his father and then drove to the school ramming the fence through the playground. He then began shooting.

This horrible tragedy saddens me but I don’t know that the school or anyone could have kept this from happening. All of the school resource officers in the world could not have stopped this before it happened. No signs warning that “Concealed Weapons are prohibited” could have prevented this. Having all the school doors locked at all times could not have prevented this. Having metal detectors at every entrance way could not have prevented this.

There is evil in this world and sometimes there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it.

It will be hard for all of the students and teachers to ever feel safe again. The families of the little boy will never feel whole again. The shooter can never undo what has been done.

I think it is important to talk to students about this situation and not keep it all quiet. Middle and High School students can talk about what they think made the shooter do this. Maybe they can relate to some of the feelings that the shooter may have felt. Maybe by talking about alternative ways that they shooter could have resolved these feelings, may help a student in my classroom who is feeling desperate and alone. Even though I hope that they won’t shoot people, they might need this talk and the tragedy would give a way to open up this conversation. It would be safe way for students to express their feelings and fears. It would be a way to offer suggestions for handling these scary feelings.

It is a scary time for the families of the students at this elementary. It is scary for the community that surrounds these families. It is just scary for all of us because we pray it doesn’t happen to someone we love. Please keep this community and the rest of the world in your prayers because we need it.