School shootings: Leaders at all levels must act

Re: “Student killed in Ingraham High School shooting; suspect arrested” [Nov. 8, Local News]:

I was horrified and heartbroken to once again hear about a shooting, this time at the local Ingraham High School on Tuesday. When I first heard news of the lockdown, I feared a massacre like Uvalde, Parkland, Sandy Hook and so many others. The fact that this shooting seems to be targeted makes it no less horrific: a family is shattered, a precious life lost, and students and parents do not feel safe in their school environment.

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, more than 300 people have been shot on school grounds at U.S. schools in 2022 so far.

While we wait for more information about the Ingraham High School shooting, we know that there are a number of policies, including safe storage, that would help to prevent gun violence. One key action the school can take is to educate parents and guardians about how to keep their legal guns away from children who will misuse them, like Spokane Public Schools decided to do last month. We need leaders at all levels of government — the school board, the city, the state and the nation — to take action to make our communities safer for everyone.

Aneelah Afzali, Seattle, Everytown for Gun Safety Interfaith Advisory Council