An unsuspecting child enters his neighborhood elementary school, only to be faced with the sound of gunfire. This horrifying scenario unfolded on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde Texas where 19 children and 2 teachers tragically lost their lives along with 17 others who were injured at Robb Elementary School. If these guns weren’t in the school in the first place those innocent lives could’ve been saved. In 2023, there were 346 school shootings which means on average there was almost one shooting a day in the US, the highest since 1966. These devastating tragedies happen so regularly that they are becoming accepted as another flaw in society, clearly indicating a crisis at hand. What’s stopping our school from being the next victim of school gun violence? These staggering statistics are making millions of parents and students including myself concerned about the safety of an environment that’s meant for education.
District 86 should implement more security to prevent these shootings. Gun violence has become one of America’s leading causes of death for children. Since 1999 more than 338,000 students have experienced gun violence in schools. Metal detectors would be an immediate and effective solution to this issue. Although the price of metal detectors would be lofty, is there any amount of money worth it when it comes to the lives of children who are the future of our society? Research conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that schools with metal detectors had a significant decrease in firearm-related incidents, with detection rates as high as 85%. Another concern is the extra time students would take to get through the metal detectors. However, metal detectors only take a few seconds to accurately scan for a weapon so the disturbance would be minor at most. On top of the efficiency, a metal detector is more accurate than any human form of security already present in our district. According to Commissioner Peggy Carr of the NCES, there has been an increase in school shooting cases by 82 from 2009-2021. The main reason for this is because few schools are able to identify which students possess guns. The implementation of metal detectors across the school would solve this issue, because every single student who enters the building will be accurately scanned.
This issue is even more present in the state of Illinois which is ranked 4th in the nation with 104 school shootings. As a student at Hinsdale Central, I don’t believe the level of security we have right now is capable of stopping a potential shooter.
Addressing mental health to prevent the rise of possible shooters is one way to fix this problem. But before that’s accomplished, schools need to protect students from learning among potential shooters.
When parents drop off their kids at school, they rightfully expect to retrieve them at the school day’s end. They shouldn’t have to worry about their safety. With the addition of metal detectors parents wouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their children when sending them to school. Metal detectors in schools are a morally right decision in the face of a growing threat to society. It’s time for us to prioritize the safety of students and educators above everything else including price and take good measures to protect their well-being.
