Violent trend of school shootings comes to Seattle

According to data compiled by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., there have been 43 incidents in Texas, 41 in California, 37 in Illinois, 31 in Florida, and 26 in Pennsylvania.

The trend of school shootings has been going up since 2012. That’s the year when 20 children and six adults died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

The only exception to this trend was the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when many school buildings were closed.

According to USA Facts, “Thirty-two incidents from 2000 to 2020 occurred during school hours, including 18 when classes were in session, three during lunchtime, and 11 during school dismissal. In 2019–20, another 80 incidents happened at other times.”

In the Yakima school shooting in March, The Yakima Herald-Republic reported:

Additional details have emerged in a fatal shooting outside Eisenhower High School last week, as the 15-year-old suspect was arraigned Thursday on murder and assault charges.

During the arraignment hearing in Yakima County Juvenile Court, Judge Ruth Reukauf continued the suspect’s $500,000 bail. He entered a not-guilty plea to second-degree murder, nine counts of first-degree assault, and one count each of second-degree unlawful firearms possession and carrying a firearm on school property.

The suspect is accused of fatally shooting his cousin, 16-year-old Shawn Dwight Tolbert, during an altercation between two groups of teens in the high school parking lot March 15.

Washington state has ranked near the bottom of states in regards to school shootings.