A student, Jackie Matthews, described what it was like to relive another incident involving gun violence after experiencing the Sandy Hook massacre and now the Michigan State University shooting.
With five people injured and three students killed at Michigan State University, Matthews is now speaking out about the need for action to address the rampant gun violence in the United States.
Surviving Michigan State University Shooting and Sandy Hook Massacre
According to Today, a Michigan State University (MSU) senior, Matthews, was in her off-campus home when she received notification of active gunshots at Berkey Hall.
Despite being in a building across the street from where three students were killed, and five others were injured, the experience already shook Matthews.
In a TikTok video that has since gone private, Matthews expressed her disappointment, saying that experiencing two mass shootings was incomprehensible.
In the video, Matthews recounts her experience during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012.
She was a sixth-grader at the nearby Reed Intermediate School in Newtown, Connecticut, when the shooting occurred.
Matthews and her classmates huddled in a corner for a prolonged period, causing her to develop a PTSD fracture in her lower back that continues to bother her whenever she is in a stressful situation or experiences anything aggressive.
According to the New York Post, with heightened emotions, Matthews recorded herself on TikTok, telling her experience of being present during two school shootings.
She shared her story to express her sadness over what happened at MSU and raise awareness and call for action to stop gun violence.
Matthews emphasized that the nation can no longer rely on love and prayers; legislation and action must be enacted to end gun violence.
President Joe Biden recently renewed his call for an assault weapon ban, stating that something must be done to stop gun violence from tearing communities apart.
Progress on controlling gun violence
Unfortunately, school shootings have become all too common in the United States, leaving children and adults traumatized by the events.
The most recent shooting at Michigan State University has brought this issue to the forefront once again as survivors recount their experiences and the nation grapples with what seems to be an increasingly pervasive problem.
It is a tragic reality that many children in America have experienced multiple mass shootings.
For example, the MSU student who survived the recent shooting also lived through the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, highlighting the long-lasting effects of these events.
In response to these tragedies, many individuals and organizations have been calling for stricter firearms access regulations.
According to CNN, President Joe Biden is among them, having recently spoken out in favor of an assault weapon ban and emphasizing the need to take action to prevent gun violence from tearing communities apart.
Despite these calls for action, it is clear that the issue of school shootings remains a complex and deeply entrenched problem in American society.
As the nation mourns the victims of the latest tragedy, many are left wondering what it will take to prevent such events from happening again.
