On the morning of November 14, a teenage boy pulled a handgun out of his bag and shot five of his schoolmates in the outdoor quad at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. Most students were already in their first period classes, or on their way to school. They were under the impression that it was going to be a normal day.

Two students, a 16-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old boy died from gunshot wounds. Three other victims, identified as a 15-year-old girl, a 14-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old boy, were injured by the gunfire.

Upon hearing gunshots at the school, several students were seen fleeing campus in a panic or running into nearby classrooms to lock themselves inside. After arriving on the scene, law enforcement officers led students out into the parking lot with their arms in the air. Many were in tears, and all in utter disbelief that they were actually experiencing what they had merely heard about so many times in the past. Students were reunited with their parents at a nearby park, where frantic sobs and loud sirens could be heard. Some could be seen huddled together in tears. It seemed like a miracle that they had made it out alive. It went unspoken that all the students at Saugus High would never forget the day’s events.

What happened to Saugus High School was a terrible, terrible situation, but unfortunately for high schoolers across America, a situation that has ceased to bring about shock. For millions of teenagers, school shootings have become so deeply ingrained into reality. In fact, there have been at least 30 school shootings in 2019 so far that have resulted in death, and around 84 in total. It feels like a new school shooting hits the news every two to three months, showing yet another school to hit the list.

The topic has been brought up so frequently that it has simply lost its gravity--hearing about school shootings are no longer extremely shocking or saddening, but merely a few seconds of solemnity added realization that this is what everyday life in America has come to. Students talk about school shootings like they would talk about classwork, or what the cafeteria is serving for lunch. School shootings have even morphed into a kind of a sinister joke amongst teenagers, and been thrown around carelessly.

The sad reality that results from frequent school shootings is that high schoolers feel like there is nothing that can be done, and are forced to constantly live with the subtle, underlying fear that their own school maybe next. In a country that experiences shootings hundreds of times a year, it feels like anyone can be a victim.

The Saugus High School shooting must serve as a wake-up call. Higher up authorities need to realize that countless apologies and prayers are simply not enough. Changes must be made, and fast, in order to prevent yet another school and more young victims from making the list.

<Isabel Hahn/ OCSA 10th Grade>