The recent shooting at Abundant Life Christian School brings, again, the subject of school violence to the minds of Christian School parents. In the years since the pandemic, school shootings have skyrocketed across the country. In 2000, there were 31 school shooting events nationwide—which was a fairly average year for the time period. In 2020, there were 116– In 2021, 257—in 2022, 308—in 2023, 349—and so far in 2024 there have been 325 shooting incidents in elementary, junior high, and high schools across our nation.[i] There are all kinds of school shootings—accidental, gang conflicts, intruders, former students, and kids who plan shootings for a variety of reasons.

I am not convinced that guns are more available to kids now than in the past. It is possible that increasing crime and violence has encouraged more families to turn to firearms as a form of household self-defense. But there was a day when firearms were readily available to kids at all times, and school shootings were extremely rare. This does not mitigate the necessity that parents properly secure and keep track of firearms in the home. Angry, depressed kids are unpredictable and parents must consider the real possibility that there is less of a threat from the outside than from their child using a weapon on themselves or others. Just because you have a Second Amendment right to have a gun in your home does not mean it is the wise choice for your family, and it certainly does not permit you to be careless with a firearm.

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Read the rest of the article here: When Kids Shoot Kids: A Christian Perspective on School Shootings – Proclaim & Defend

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