According to EdWeek, there were 51 school shootings with injuries or deaths in 2022. This was by far the most in a single year since they began tracking such incidents in 2018.
As of today, March 27th – just 86 days into 2023 – there have been 13 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths, with the most recent heartbreak happening in Nashville, Tennessee – where, as of this writing, three adults and 3 young elementary students’ lives were lost at The Covenant School.
In response to the shooting, JP Guilbault, CEO of Navigate360 and ALICE Training® issued the following statement:
First and foremost, our hearts are with The Covenant School and the Nashville, Tennessee community today as we learn of yet another unspeakable act of violence on the grounds of a pre-K–6 school. We extend our condolences to the victims, families, staff, and students, as they begin to process and recover from this tragedy. Also, I want to express our gratitude for the law enforcement, first responders and healthcare professionals involved in the response, and the ongoing recovery.
This act of violence on precious young lives is sickening and follows other violent critical events that took place last week in Denver, Colorado and Dallas, Texas.
The significant rise in violent acts that take place in our schools and the places we gather continue to have notable, traumatic impacts on the collective psyche of our nation and – most importantly – on our children. These events continue to erode the confidence of students, parents, teachers, and school communities – that they are safe, that they will return home at the end of a school day, that they will be able to thrive. This is not the learning environment or mindset that allows people to reach their full potential.
Data show mass attacks are preventable, yet we continue to endure the senseless loss of life that no family should experience. We need to have the courage to stand for zero incidents – to enact responsible gun ownership legislation, limit access and promote safe storage, implement prevention and intervention programs – from threat assessment to early identification of concerning behavior – we must supplement preparedness with prevention-first programs in partnership across Government, Law Enforcement, our business community, Researchers and NGOs.
As a collective society, we must go beyond reactive thoughts and prayers; we must take a proactive approach and stop these acts before they escalate. We must commit ourselves to every child being able to experience each school day without fear, and we must do it together. Zero incidents must be what we strive for – doing anything less is simply not an option.
