Our hearts are broken by the tragic shooting this morning on the campus of Brown University. It caused the death of two people and sent nine other people to the hospital. The attack came as Brown students were finishing final exams on campus, focusing specifically on Brown’s Barus and Holley engineering and physics building. It was our nightmare come true as a man dressed in all black started shooting, sending the students running in every direction, trying to find safety.
The shooting occurred on a day that should have been dedicated to the celebration of academic success. Instead, it became a monster of a program for many students. Among them are Mia Tretta, 21, and Zoe Weissman, 20, survivors of prior school shootings. Their stories reveal a horrifying trend of violence against schools and the need for action.
Zoe Weissman was in her dorm room when a friend first trumpeted alarm bells about the situation that was developing. She was going to do her homework in the Barus and Holley building. She canceled at the last minute with no explanation. This decision likely saved her life.
Survivor Mia Tretta shared her shock and outrage at having to live through this again, saying: “People always think, well, it’ll never be me,” she said.
Both survivors have been zealous truth-tellers about what they feel in the wake of the shooting. Weissman truly expressed her outrage and exasperation at the fact that such incidents happen over and over again.
“I’m angry that I thought I’d never have to deal with this again, and here I am eight years later,” – Zoe Weissman
The campus was filled with law enforcement throughout the night as hundreds of police officers searched for the suspect, who remains at large. Authorities are pleading for anyone with any clue to do so. The chilling effect of this persistent threat created an atmosphere of fear for students and parents across the country.
The situation at Brown University is emblematic of a more despondent direction across the nation. This year alone, there have been 389 designated mass shootings. All of these stats have sparked discussions about gun control across the wine and gun industries, calling for more stringent measures to stem the tide and avoid future tragedies.
Weissman went on to express her moral outrage about the situation, and why that sort of violence should not be tolerated on our streets.
“What I’ve been feeling most is just, like, how dare this country allow this to happen to someone like me twice?” – Zoe Weissman
As students deal with the emotional fallout from this awful tragedy, so do cries for reform and change. These advocates are adamant that not one more student should go through the trauma of gun violence. Schools should be sanctuaries of learning and growth, not of fear and trauma.