A deep feeling of dread fills a student’s mind as she steps through the doors of her school. One notification after another pings on her phone, each one more alarming than the last, as her friends reach out to alert her about a threat of a school shooting directed at their school. Despite her fear and the growing tension, she decides to stay in school, determined to maintain her perfect attendance record. As the day drags on, she is left in a constant state of unease.
School shootings have been a continuous issue in America. According to Statista, over the 53 years leading up to 2022 the number of school shootings increased by more than 12 times. This has caused schools across the country to be aware of the reality and enforce new rules and safety measures.
“Anytime there is any threat to the campus, it is reported to our campus SRO, Officer Mendoza.” Academic Director Kaylin Brett said. “Officer Mendoza then investigates the report on his side through the Austin ISD police department. Depending on the findings, we also notify the community. Fortunately, we have never had a credible threat.”
Research by Elsevier Science Direct shows that increased media coverage of mass shooters leads to a higher likelihood of future shooting incidents. In addition, Elsevier Science Direct states that the recent rise in mass shootings has been linked to the “media contagion” theory, which suggests that society’s continuous news cycle has created a “copycat” effect on crimes.
“Kids see how much attention the school shootings are getting, and they want that attention too,” junior Harper Lang said. “News and social media publicity is becoming too much, it’s a butterfly effect of people wanting that attention.”
Lists have been circulating which feature the names of hundreds of schools, including Bowie, that are supposedly the focus of a school shooting threat. However, these limits are often false and often created anonymously by students.
“People are using social media as an echo-chamber of their thoughts,” business teacher Wendy Thomson said. “If you’re mad at school, then you’re going to be in an echo-chamber of people who want to be school shooters. Kids can be aggressive while hiding behind a keyboard.”
Bowie High School serves around 2,900 students and has over 200 faculty and staff members, along with a campus that is spread over 60 acres. The administration is committed to making sure that all students and staff feel safe, regardless of the campus size.
“The administration makes safety one of our priorities on campus,” history teacher Charles Stampley said. “However, a campus this large is going to be very difficult to completely secure, there’s no such thing as a 100% secure place.”
In most cases of school shootings, there were multiple warning signs given by the shooter, such as isolation, violent obsession, becoming irritable or impatient, or stalking. According to Stampley, if parents know the warning signs and what their child has access to online, awareness could provide a more comfortable environment for students.
“Parents getting involved, and parents knowing what their kids are doing online, could reduce the number of school shooting threats,” Stampley said. “People need to be aware of what people are posting and doing online.”
