School shootings have been an upfront and commonly discussed topic for the entire time RCMS students have been attending school, and politicians and celebrities have put in many a 2 cents on the issue, but one thing that is rarely discussed is what students want to feel safe at school. 

Firearm related injuries are considered the number one cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

A walkout moment of silence and protest took place last year at Carson after the elementary school shooting in Uvalde and dozens of students stood on the blacktop in silence for 21 minutes. 

“It as a super important and moving moment for the school,” said Tyler Shin, eighth-grader on discovery.

In the lifetimes of Carson students dozens of suggestions have been made to stop mass shootings and especially school shootings anything from the Donald Trump and NRA backed plan to arm teachers to defend students from a potential shooter to mental health reform and increased gun control. 

“I’m not in support of that idea,” said Mrs. Johnson-Donald, an English teacher on the explorer team,” I’m not a security guard and I do not have the training, and school is an inappropriate place for a firearm.”

Some students and teachers believe that gun control will ultimately make the nation a safer place and is a necessity.

“I believe part of the solution is stricter gun laws,” said Mrs. Johnson Donald.

Some students believe guns should only be sold on a as needed basis and not sold to anybody.

“I think the solution to stop mass shootings is laws that only the police and people who NEED them can have them,” said Laurel Bowden in a survey on student opinions. 

In connection to increasing gun laws is increasing the minimum age of gun owners because of the number of young shooters.

“I think the solution to stop these mass shootings is to raise the age limit on who can buy guns, and to put restrictions on the selling of guns in the first place,” said Phoebe Shi in a survey 

Somewhat in between the two ideas are students who believe that there are solutions that have less backing from either end of the political spectrum.

“Reduce gun laws, but create more restrictions on gun registration,” said Mia Kehde, seventh-grader on the dream team.

Increased security is a popular idea to prevent shooting fatalities at school.

”More SRO officers and increased attention to entrances and exits and making sure all doors into the building are locked,” said Veer Sawhney, a seventh grader on the trailblazers.

In recent years mental health has been considered somewhat of a bipartisan solution to mass killings in modern America.

“I think a solution could be mandatory psych evaluations for every gun license to be bought, and every 1-2 years could have another psych evaluation to make sure the gun license can be renewed,” said Ballal Rama in a survey.

FCPS engages in regular lockdown drills using the duck and cover method for protection which is the most common method in the country, but not necessarily the method recommended by federal and local law enforcement officials.

The department of homeland security says that the best method to survive a mass shooting is the run hide fight method saying that the very best option is to leave the area if you can escape safely and that the secondary option is to take the shelter in place method, and then if a shooter enters the place you are barricaded you should engage the shooter and try to disarm them with fighting techniques and improvised weapons.