I am not going to beat you over the head with the facts of the shooting, as I am sure everyone has heard them already. The facts surrounding the case are still unfolding and the shooter’s motive is still unknown. Since he turned the gun on himself, we may never know his motives. I do have a few things to say about the shooting, though.

To begin my thoughts, lets go back, shall we? Back to the spring of 1999. I was a senior in high school on my way to gym class. For some reason, I was one of the last ones in the hallway to the locker room. As I was walking, I saw some other students just standing around, with one person walking away from the others. As he was walking towards his friend at the other end of the hall, he lifted up his shirt a little and told the friend “I have a way to make her listen” and revealed a gun sticking out of his pants. He didn’t see me, but I will never forget what he looked like, or that gun. Something snapped in my mind, I went right to the gym teacher and told her I needed to go to the dean’s office. None of the girls were in the gym yet, so I was able to tell her what I saw without being overheard. I went right to the dean’s office and reported it. I spent the entire rest of the day in the office. I gave the description to the dean I trusted the most. A black guy, about 6 feet tall, thin and lanky, medium length afro with a blue pick comb in it, dark, very baggy jeans, probably 3 sizes too big, sagging pretty low, solid blue t-shirt, no book bag, and when he lifted his shirt, his boxers (also sort of baggy) were blue and white, and he had a black belt. Notice the colors? The gun was a small hand gun, a revolver style.
I had no idea who the “she” was he mentioned, and, looking back now, knowing what I know now about school shootings, who knows what could have happened if I did not report it. The kid was eventually caught, they found another gun in his car. Who knows what he was planning.

Because of this experience I have a unique perspective.

What if that student had decided to pull the gun when the, unarmed, school safety officers (not even called security guards)? What if he pulled the gun on a teacher when cornered? The entire school, really, would have been at his mercy. One easy solution is to arm teachers and “safety officers” in the schools. If a gun for a teacher is too much for some, how about a stun gun? Why do “safety officers” not even carry billy clubs? If I remember correctly, they have a small can of mace and that is it. In light of recent events, does that make sense to ANYONE?

Banning all guns, i.e. repealing the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, makes no sense either. Since when to CRIMINALS obey the laws, anyway?