The Parkland High School shooting, which occurred on February 14, 2018, saw the lives of seventeen people end abruptly. The tragic incident also sent seventeen others to the ICU, leaving the students, staff, and community shaken and shattered with grief.
The lives of families who lost their loved ones in the accident were flung into utter chaos and despair. The lives of students in the school never remained the same, as the memory of the black day is forever etched in their memories.
As time went on, wounds healed, and families of the victims found it in them to smile again. Students also moved on, but Valentine’s Day will never be the same for many. Following the tragic incident, survivors and parents of the victims joined in the fight for stricter gun control laws.
While many focused on the victims of the incident and their families, no one paid attention to the pain of the survivors. However, the deaths of two survivors of the Parkland High School shooting, which is the deadliest high school shooting in the US, have spotlighted the enduring pain of survivors of gun violence.
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One of the survivors, Sydney Aiello, is a recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduate. Aiello died by suicide in the past week, over six years after the high school shooting that saw the life of her best friend, Meadow Pollack, cut short.
The other survivor, a student at the high school, also took his own life. Notably, both deaths occurred over six years later. Following the tragic incident, Aiello reportedly struggled with “survivor’s” guilt. According to experts, this condition affects people who survive incidents where others die.
As earlier stated, Aiello lost her close friend to the incident, and that took a toll on her mental health. Her parents revealed that doctors diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), underscoring the ripple effects of gun violence.
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The deaths of the Parkland school shooting survivors put the mental health toll of survivors of gun violence at the highest point of concern. School shootings have become increasingly common in the United States, with many of the shooters not having an apparent reason for their behavior.
However, a recent court ruling that saw the parents of a Michigan school shooter sentenced to prison has set a precedence for other cases. It has also proved that parents of school shooters must be held responsible for the erratic behaviors of their children.
Besides many survivors of gun violence having their lives disrupted, others join in the fight for stricter gun laws to have a sense of control. However, no one deserves to live like that. According to experts, for survivors, victims’ families, and nearby residents, the psychological effects of gun violence can be devastating.
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Experts say most survivors’ stress gradually decreases over time. However, others experience lasting consequences, including PTSD, like Aiello. The tragic death of the Parkland shooting survivors highlights why advocates for gun control call for the enactment of stricter gun control laws.
They believe such laws will tackle the issue at the head and protect others from the excruciatingly cruel effects of gun violence. Maybe if such laws were in place, the 14 students and three staff who died from the shooting wouldn’t have met with such a tragic end.
Also, maybe Aiello would have lived a life free of guilt for something she had no control over.
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