What happened in Texas?
On 26 May 2022, an 18-year-old boy killed nineteen children and two school teachers in Uvalde, a small city in Texas, United States of America. The shooter locked himself in a classroom of Robb Elementary School (RES) before he started shooting. The shooter was shot dead by the police soon after. The police have been unable to find out why the shooter did this horrible crime.
How have the people of Uvalde reacted?
Everyone in Uvalde is very sad. People are hurt by how the police responded to the situation. Many people said that the police reached the school without proper tools to confront the shooter.
When the police entered the school, they saw that the shooter had locked himself in a classroom. The police couldn’t get through the door and had to ask a school staff member to open it.
Many parents believe that many innocent lives could have been saved if the police had acted faster.
What is being done to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again?
Many schools in Texas have taken steps to ensure incidents like this don’t happen again. Some of these steps include building a fence around the school, locking doors from the inside, etc. But it is important that schools follow these steps properly. Having rules on paper without them being followed is not helpful to anyone.
Do I need to be worried about something like this happening in my school?
The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States (US) allows anyone over the age of 18 to buy a gun. Luckily, in India, only a few people are allowed to have guns. It is very difficult to buy weapons in our country. So, the chances of something like this happening here are very low.
If you were ever to find yourself in such a situation, remember to remain calm and listen to your teachers. If you feel that something is troubling you, talk to an adult you trust or your school’s counsellor.
Let’s all observe a minute of silence for the innocent lives that were lost in Texas.
