Seventeen, a number associated with high school. Seventeen is being old enough to drive, but not old enough to vote. Seventeen is finally being an upperclassman. almost everyone seems to be infatuated with 17. But in February 2018, 17 meant something very different for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 students and injured 17 others. In this issue, TKC in-depth team investigated gun violence in Kirkwood - from families who have heard a gun's sharp shot to safety policies at KHS. This in-depth is in honor of those 17 students.
Where are we now?
In 2013, KSD chose ALICE, an option based response program, to increase the safety at KHS. Since then, the training of staff and the number of intruder drills has increased. While new protocols have been put in place, KHS will continue to adjust its policies to an evolving society.
Story by: Jack Anderson, features writer
Art by: Tatum Shore-Fitzgerald, staff artist
Dr. Michael Havener, KHS principal, comes over the intercom and explains there is an intruder in the math building. Your heart begins to race as you attempt to recall the instructions and training you received. You are in the science building, not far from the intruder, so your teacher instructs you to pick up a chair and prepare to defend yourself. No longer are you told to sit in the corner as a sitting duck: you are prepared to fight. Whose idea was this? You have ALICE to thank.
In response to a growing number of school shootings across America, schools are now a place where students have to worry about losing their life. According to The Washington Post, more than 220,000 students have experienced gun violence in school since Columbine. Levaughn Smart, KSD coordinator of safety and security, said the program KSD uses to ensure student and staff safety best defends against an intruder. ALICE, an option-based response program which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, was chosen to increase the security at KHS in 2013.
“To make [KHS] 100 percent safe would mean that nobody would be here,” Smart said. “What we can do, in order to make it as safe as possible, is put things in place where we can work together as a team to mitigate some of the problems.”
According to Havener, since the beginning of ALICE training in KSD, its policies have continuously evolved to adapt to our society, such as requiring that doors be locked at all times during school hours. The number of intruder drills at KHS has increased from one to four a year, and the idea of fighting against an intruder as opposed to sitting and waiting for them was implemented. With new locks, teachers can now lock their doors from inside the classroom, whereas before they would have to lock them from the outside.
“No one was trained that if you are going to do a lockdown, to barricade the door so someone cannot get in,” Havener said. “No one really thought about, ‘Do not sit there, fight. Grab something so if someone walks in you can throw it at them and distract them.’”
Twenty-nine percent of students (90/311) said they feel prepared for an active shooter situation and 28 percent (87/311) said they were familiar with KHS safety policies. According to Smart, unlike teachers who receive a 30-minute lecture followed by 30-minutes of practical application, students do not receive any training to prepare for an active shooter. Havener said revealing too much could put the school in a vulnerable situation.
“There are only certain things the staff can express with students,” said Havener. “If you tell a bad person the plan, they [will] know how to get around it.”
Claire Guillemot, sophomore, said she feels safe at school. However, she does not feel like she knows very much about the school’s safety procedures.
“There is still an element of uncertainty for what could come,” Guillemot said. “[Shootings have] been happening to all these other schools that seem normal, so why couldn’t it happen to us?”
According to Smart, students and staff must work together and be open to new ideas. Anyone can bring a problem or solution to Smart to be taken into consideration, and possibly integrated. KHS installed a network of security cameras, costing over $1 million, after a KSDK staffer walked into the school unimpeded Jan. 16, 2014 and prompted a lockdown after he left. According to USA Today, when the massacre at Columbine took place 19 percent of schools said they used security cameras but by the 2013-2014 school year, 75 percent of schools reported using them. Future events and decisions will continue to reshape the policies of KHS.
“I think you’re going to see more improvements in not only policies and procedures, but more improvement when it comes to buildings,” Havener said. “There is bulletproof film you can put across glass. Doors, access points and things of that nature are going to be improved with technology. I think [in the future] you’re going to see physical improvements the most.”
5 things you should know about gun law reform
Story by: Izzy Colon, technical web editor
Art by: Celia Bergman, staff artist
Armed with handmade posters and a desire for change, streets in every major U.S. city have been flooded with students protesting current laws surrounding gun ownership and regulation. Posts advocating for reform cloud Instagram explore pages and candidates in recent elections have increasingly considered gun law reform as a major component to their platform. According to Lucas Ravenscraft, AP Government and Politics teacher, KHS students are more enthusiastic about gun law reform than ever. TKC decided to explore the layers of gun law reform and how students can influence the process. Here are five things you should know:
1. Not all reform efforts are the same. Although it may seem like the issue is black and white, according to Kim Westerman, Moms Demand Action spokesperson, gun reform can be defined in different ways. Westerman said the organization she volunteers for advocates for “common sense laws” or laws that typically aim for small scale restrictions on a state level which don’t conflict with the Second Amendment. This type of legislation, according to Westerman, is not necessarily partisan and aims to fulfill a common goal of greater safety within communities. Common sense gun laws often include more extensive background checks or restrictions on particular types of weapons. But Ravenscraft argues gun law reform is a much more general term than many account for. He said although common sense laws are a step toward progress, federal-level action such as amending or repealing the Second Amendment or demilitarizing the police force may be necessary to adequately address gun violence. Supporters of gun law reform may even have starkly different ideological reasoning behind their support for a change.
2. The gun lobby is real. According to former Missouri State Representative Stacey Newman, the gun lobby is comprised of interest groups, such as the NRA, which profoundly influence policy-making at all levels. Even in the Missouri legislature, according to Newman, common sense laws are hindered from passing because of the influence of the gun lobby. The Republican party, the party Newman said is most influenced by the gun lobby, is the majority in Missouri legislature. This means that Republicans have the power to discourage common sense gun law reform bills from being brought to the floor to be debated and voted on. Although Republican politicians are most commonly influenced by such lobbyists, Newman said the gun lobby affects a large range of politicians extending beyond party affiliation. Ravenscraft and Westerman both recognized the gun lobby’s influence in passing reform policies.
3. Gun violence comes in different forms. Domestic violence, suicide, accidents and mental health concerns are also prevalent factors in the discussion surrounding gun law reform. Westerman said that reform efforts are not always focused on the large scale shootings that have gained so much attention but instead will also serve as a preventative measure for more common gun violence occurrences.
4. The gun debate varies regionally. According to Westerman, Moms Demand Action chapters exist across Missouri but reform efforts differ based on location. Westerman said mass shootings are commonly feared in suburban areas like Kirkwood, but she said there is also a significant threat of single-victim gun violence in urban areas. Ravenscraft recognizes that his experience living in an urban area differs from that of a rural citizen, which he said could have a profound impact on how different people view the issue. Ravenscraft classifies these differences as an indicator of a broader divide between citizens living in urban and rural areas.
5. Even if you can’t vote, you still have a voice. Ravenscraft said although many KHS students are not able to vote, there are other ways students can influence local politics. According to Newman, politicians are most concerned with getting re-elected and will rearrange their priorities if public outcry against gun violence is visible enough. She said this starts with communicating with local representatives regarding both voting decisions you find favorable and those you oppose. Holding local politicians accountable by keeping track of their voting records puts pressure on them to vote in a way that is favorable to their constituents.
Remembering JoJo: A Mother's Story
Story by: Ally Ortmann, features + in-depth editor
Art by: Celia Bergman, staff artist
In California, Windi Joseph is getting ready for bed. Before falling asleep she sends a Bible verse to her son in Missouri. Matthew 18:19-20 states, “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” He will never see it.
Joseph “JoJo” Lee was found shot beside his basement door in Gravois Park Aug. 27, 2017. James Columbus, former KHS student, and Glenn Robinson, an Imperial, Missouri teenager, were charged with his murder. A source told police Columbus was meeting Lee because Columbus was interested in purchasing marijuana, however, the source alleged the deal turned into a robbery when Columbus pulled a gun on Lee. The following morning, Joseph received a call from a friend, Lee had been shot and killed around 3 a.m.
“My kids and I were getting ready to go to church,” Joseph said. “I remember standing there reading out of the Bible, when the phone rang and it was a 314 number. [Afterward], I immediately activated my Facebook and all I saw was, ‘RIP JoJo.’ I kept calling him and he wouldn’t answer his phone.”
Columbus plead guilty to Lee’s murder, and an armed robbery three days prior, and received a 20-year prison sentence Dec. 10, 2018. Lee graduated from Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in 2015, and while Joseph and his siblings moved back to California, Lee stayed in St. Louis and began attending St. Louis Community College in Forest Park. Starting a new job and expecting a son, Joseph said Lee was excited for the future.
“Two weeks prior to his death we had a group text between my other son, [JoJo] and I,” Joseph said. “My other son, who was in California, found out that he was expecting a baby too. We were really excited that they were going to have kids close to each other. It was a joyous moment.”
According to Joseph, the week following her son’s death, he was supposed to visit Joseph for her birthday Sept. 1. Instead, she spent her 40th birthday in a medical examiner’s office identifying the body of her son.
“I was praying that it was a mistaken identity,” Joseph said. “I was in denial. I hoped he was in jail. There are so many black boys that looked like him, so many children who are missing. I couldn’t see [my son] getting involved in anything that would’ve resulted in his death.”
After arriving in St. Louis in August 2017, Joseph recognized something was off with the life her son had been living. Joseph said Lee had stopped taking her advice prior to his death.
“I had instructed [JoJo] to move to the Central West End,” Joseph said. “Apparently he didn’t do that. I had never seen his place [before, and it] was somewhere that I would not move. Everything was so wrong from the moment he stopped listening to me. It’s important for parents to be involved because [like JoJo] they can go in the wrong direction and they’re vulnerable.”
Growing up, Lee had good grades, skateboarded, wrote music, edited dance videos and organized a dance crew he called the “Iron Man Jerk Squad,” according to Joseph. Joseph said Lee was a passionate, exceptional kid who cared more about others than himself.
“[JoJo] was a very beautiful child,” Joseph said. “He had a protective instinct, he was the type of child that didn’t tolerate bullying. He always stood up for those people who were belittled. He never judged anyone. He was very sweet, and always laughing.”
According to Joseph, those traits did not cease over time. When Lee’s younger brother got a concussion and Joseph was struggling with caring for her children and work, Lee stepped in to help.
“I was sitting on the end of my bed crying, and [JoJo] walked right past my door and he came back and [said], ‘Mom, it’s going to be okay. I’m going to go get a job,’” Joseph said. “I remember him riding his skateboard in the cold [to get to work] to make sure he helped with his sisters and brothers. Things you have to ask people to do, you didn’t have to ask him. He did it because it was the right thing to do.”
Following her son’s death, Joseph said she was confused and angry, consumed by a pain she’d never felt before. But, once Lee’s son was born her anger went away.
“I’d never held a grudge,” Joseph said. “[Following my son’s death] was the longest I’d held a grudge in my life. And I refused to allow it to control me and to become a part of my life. And I gave it back to [my son’s killers] in that courtroom, I gave it back to them and let them own that.”
Joseph stood less than a foot away from Columbus in the courtroom during his trial for her son’s homicide. Rather than yelling at Columbus, Joseph called his name and addressed him.
“It was quiet, and I put my head down so I could pray,” Joseph said. “I opened my eyes and called his name. I said, ‘I love you, because God loves us all. And I forgive you.’ I said, ‘I forgive you because we all make mistakes, and you made a really big one that night.’ I said, ‘You’ve got your family here crying. You left a child without a father. You left me without a son. I forgive you, but it’s not up to me.’”
According to the FBI, St. Louis has one of the highest murder rates in the United States. Joseph said in order to combat this issue the community must be proactive in their attempts to educate youth and encourage them to take a stance on issues pressing them.
“Firing a gun is a big deal,” Joseph said. “[Someone] doesn’t go around taking lives, that’s not normal. There aren’t enough resources, there aren’t enough after school programs. I think if the focus was more on [teenagers] the community would heal itself. [Teenagers and children] are the future. If they can go purchase guns, teach them how to save a life instead of how to take a life.”
Anxious about ALICE: What I learned in active shooter training
Story by: Maddie Meyers, web-managing editor
Art by: Tatum Shore-Fitzgerald, staff artist
There is an active shooter in the school. Run. Don’t stop. Get out. According to Levaughn Smart, KSD coordinator of safety and security, if at all possible, evacuate.
I learned this first hand when I participated in an active shooter drill for parents at North Glendale Elementary School’s (NG) PTO meeting Jan. 8. During the drill, Smart separated us into classrooms and told us to stand in the corner while a parent with a Nerf gun shot at us with rubber balls. In this first scenario, we all were shot because we clustered together. The second time, we barricaded the door, turned off the lights and grabbed items to throw at the shooter. This time the shooter did not even make it inside our classroom and moved on to others. We were safe.
“It shows that there is room to live if you have some training,” Luke Baumgartner, NG PTO co-president, said. “If you all just get under your desk, it makes for an easy target.”
In the final scenario, Smart told us to evacuate, which saved the most lives. Kitty Laird, NG PTO co-president, said she was surprised some people went upstairs rather than exiting the building.
“What was interesting [in the active shooter drill] was how other people in the room reacted,” Laird said. “We knew they were coming with a Nerf gun, but some people still froze and some people went immediately into action.”
The active shooter drill changed my previous belief that my only option was to remain quiet and sit in a corner. I now know this action could make me an easy target, and I now feel more prepared. For me, this drill lessened my anxiety toward intruder drills, but for some, these drills can cause fear. In a survey of KHS students, 38 percent (120/311) said they feel at least somewhat anxious about the intruder drills.
Laird, mother of five kids at NG, said she has kids on both ends of the anxiety spectrum: some feel more confident that everything will be okay and others are more worried. She believes the drills are not the leading cause of this anxiety, but the anticipation and the idea that there could be an intruder.
“I am so thankful I went through [the drill] so I could talk to [my kids] openly and honestly: this is why your school does this, why your teachers do this and why it is so important to listen to your teachers when you can,” Laird said. “And if your teacher is not there because, in the worse case, they have been shot, you know what to do and you have been trained to get out.”
At NG, they call intruder drills “safety drills” in an attempt to make them seem more routine and less frightening. According to Keith Leonard, NG counselor, they want the students to think of it as just something we do to take care of ourselves. Like Laird, Leonard also believes the anticipation of the drills is more anxiety-inducing than the actual thing. Leonard likes the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) drills because they assure students with anxiety that there is a plan if they need it.
“The more practice and repetition you get of [the drills], the anxiety goes down,” Leonard said. “Then everybody can relax and think more quickly when they know what is going on.”
Brian Wingbermuehle, co-founder of Students Demand Action and current freshman at Saint Louis University, has a different outlook on the drills. Wingbermuehle said when he attended Rockwood Summit High School, their intruder drills consisted of flashing lights, sirens and even law enforcement. They would pull on door knobs and bang on doors because they wanted to make it as real as possible.
“I think it is a very different experience for us in high school, but imagine if you are in middle school or even elementary school,” Wingbermuehle said. “[These drills at any grade level are] a harrowing experience to put your children through. Why on God’s Earth would that make you want to go to school?”
Wingbermuehle recalls, at a young age, reading a version of The Three Little Pigs except the Big Bad Wolf was an intruder to help kids understand that intruders are bad. ALICE produced a book, I’m not scared...I’m prepared, to help younger students understand the ALICE concepts. Leonard said they use this book as well as deep breathing and relaxation techniques to help any kids with anxiety about the drills.
While the KSD elementary schools are preparing their students through books and evacuations, Laird is concerned because the middle schools and KHS have done primarily intruder drill lockdowns, not intruder drill evacuations. Smart said logistically it is hard to evacuate the entire school because we have around 1,800 students, so they are conducting the evacuations one section of the school at a time. According to Smart, another obstacle is some parents do not want their children participating in active shooter drills. However, Smart said he, central office and the administration decide the layout of the drills so that they fit for the vast majority of students.
“Being able to do [the active shooter drills] with all the kids, not everybody’s parent wants this, that or the other,” Smart said. “We have to find some happy medium to get that information into those individuals’ hands [who want more training].”
Leonard said while safety drills can produce anxiety in kids, from what he has seen, they have not caused any more than other drills. Baumgartner, father of two kids at NG, said his youngest cried during the safety drills in kindergarten and first grade because she was not used to them. While his youngest expressed fear, his eldest thought of the safety drills as more routine.
“One thing my fifth grader does say that she has never said about a tornado drill or a fire drill [is that] after a while, it is sobering that someone could actually come into our room and do that,” Baumgartner said. “So I think they look at tornado drills and fire drills more in the abstract, but I really believe that these older kids see, because it does occur often on the news, that a school shooting could happen.”
Despite all of the preparation, Wingbermuehle believes these drills place an unnecessary burden on students and teachers. He said the intruder drills only address a symptom of the root problem that violent people and those convicted of crimes can access guns so easily in our current society.
“I think that right now these drills are addressing a societal problem,” Wingbermuehle said. “Rather than making our students afraid to go to class, we need to be focusing on how we stop people from barging into schools and killing students and staff. That is the issue here.”
After Parkland
A recent history of school shootings and gun control legislation.
Timeline by: Molly Higgins
Feb. 14, 2018: Nikolas Cruz opens fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and faculty members were killed, 17 more were injured. In a nationwide address, President Donald Trump declares he will “tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” He does not mention guns.
Feb. 22, 2018: Dick’s Sporting Goods announces it will stop selling assault rifles following the Parkland shooting. Other companies such as United Airlines and Best Western followed by cutting ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA).
March 9, 2018: Florida Governor Rick Scott signs into state law a bill which changes the gun ownership age requirement from 18 to 21, enforces a three-day waiting period on gun purchases and allowed some school employees (non-teachers, such as counselors, coaches and administrators) to carry.
March 14, 2018: KHS students participate in a nationwide walkout on the one-month anniversary of the Parkland shooting. Students also take part in seven minutes of silence to honor the victims.
March 23, 2018: March for Our Lives, a protest for gun control reform takes place in Washington D.C. along with several other ‘sibling protests’ nationwide. Turnout is estimated to be between 1.2 million and 2 million, making March for Our Lives one of the largest protests in American history.
May 18, 2018: At Santa Fe High School in Texas, gunman Dimitrios Pagourtzis kills 10 people and injures 10 more in the worst school shooting since Parkland.
Aug. 15, 2018: KSD begins a new school year and continues use of the ALICE intruder protocol: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate (see p.30-31). Faculty members are required to attend training sessions and emphasis on safety is increased district wide.
Sept. 2018: California strengthens a new angle on gun control by enforcing ammunition control. By monitoring bullet sales, they are able to take back hundreds of illegal guns. Sixty-eight other gun control measures pass in the United States in 2018, which is more than three times the amount passed in 2017.
Oct. 1, 2018: President Trump confirms during a press conference that his administration will eliminate bump stocks, attachments that enable semi-automatic rifles to fire faster.
Nov. 30, 2018: An anonymous shooting threat is left on a bathroom wall at KHS. Action was taken by the administration and police to investigate the threat (see “Update to ‘disturbing message’ left in girls’ bathroom” on TKC website).
2019: Reform advocates will continue to fight for strengthened gun control. According to Emma González, Parkland survivor, “We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we’re going to be another statistic about mass shootings in America, but because we are going to be the last mass shooting.” With the growing influence of advocates such as González as well as campaigns like #NeverAgain, reformers hope that 2019 will be another year of change.