Remembering Bre’Asia Powell and other Atlanta students killed by senseless violence
Gun violence in any form is unacceptable, but gun violence in schools is a terrifying, life-changing tragedy that shatters the futures of many young people. The implications of a gun shooting are far-reaching and include, of course, the lives lost.
For those who remain, injuries, emotional damage, and a constant lack of being able to trust in a school are hard to overcome as well. Just how bad is it, and what are Atlanta police doing to quell the issue? Keep reading to learn more from our Atlanta shooting victim lawyer.
Understanding the gun violence problems in schools
It is quite difficult to explain the extensiveness of the current situation unless you have been in such an environment where these risks are present. Consider some examples.
The Atlanta police department reported a shooting outside of an Atlanta high school one Sunday morning in May of 2023. The shooting involved multiple people, including 16-year-old Bre’Asia Powell, who would later succumb to her injuries. It all began as a confrontation at a graduation party, a time in which new futures are created.
In August of 2022, WSBTV reported that, within the first two weeks of school, six guns had turned up in five different school campuses within the Atlanta Metro area. On the 4th day of classes at Rome High School, a student brought a gun on campus.
These are just a few of the instances happening recently. In August of 2022, a teacher at a Gwinnett elementary school found that a loaded firearm had appeared in the school’s donation supply box on the very first day of school. A few months later, in March of 2023, a gun was found at a middle school in Fairburn, Georgia, causing the entire school to go into lockdown. `
Can you carry a gun on school property in Georgia?
Under Georgia law, it is illegal for anyone to bring a gun onto school grounds or into school zones. This applies to most people. Even if a person has a license to carry a gun, they are not allowed to be brought onto a school’s property, including college campuses.
It is not legal to bring ammunition on school property either unless it is in a locked, proper carrying case. More so, a person cannot openly carry a handgun if they are within 1,000 feet of an elementary or high school in the state.
What solutions to gun violence in schools exist?
In a country where gun rights are very hotly debated, it can seem incredibly challenging for parents to feel comfortable sending their children off to school each day. The days of a child heading to the park or riding their bike to a friend’s house seem to be gone.
While government organizations, schools, communities, and others go to work to learn how to prevent gun violence in schools, the question for many parents is what to do right now. Laws take time to change, but there are several things parents can do to protect children:
- Keep all guns in the home locked up, and do not encourage children to use them.
- Talk about gun violence, including why it occurs, as well as what to do if they see someone with a gun at school.
- Discuss the right way to handle difficult situations, which often, for children, is reporting the problem to a parent or teacher so that things like bullying can be dealt with before they escalate.
Education, providing mental health support, and keeping the lines of communication open are some of the most important first steps that parents can take to protect their children. Be active in the conversation about guns at school and gun violence in general.
Have you been the victim of a shooting? Contact our law firm for guidance.
Working to understand gun violence in schools is challenging for everyone. For those who have been the victim of this type of violence, though, life is likely to look much more challenging. Working with an Atlanta shooting victim lawyer can help you do your part in fighting back, even if you cannot eliminate what happened.
Holding negligent parties accountable
When negligence leads to these risks, someone should be held accountable. Unfortunately, that is not always something that happens in advance of tragedy, though. Negligent behavior of a parent or another party or even the school in providing a safe environment could put you and your life (or that of your child) at risk. Every step possible should be taken to protect people from senseless violence, but when you are the victim, you need legal support. We can help you.
At Rafi Law Firm, we encourage you to seek out the help of our Atlanta shooting victim lawyer if you are the victim of any type of act of violence and someone else could be to blame. Take the time now to contact our legal team at Rafi Law Firm by calling (404) 800-9933 to discuss your case with attorneys who want to see things improve.