Another School Shooting

Before diving into this newsletter, let’s acknowledge that gun violence on school campuses is a uniquely American thing. It should not be a “fact of life,” as a certain Vice-Presidential nominee had put it. In a newsletter I wrote earlier this year on remembering the Columbine High School massacre, I went over some harrowing statistics about school shootings that happen on school campuses, not only including K-12 but college as well, specifically on Day 66. On Day 66 of every year since 2008, there has been a double-digit number of shootings that have happened. This year was 16. Last year was 82. In 2022, that number was 79.

Also, last year, 1 in 4 teachers stated that their schools went into lockdown as a result of a gun-related incident. This is not normal.

Sigh.

2 teachers dead. 2 students dead.

On September 4 at 10:20am, a normally inconspicuous time for any time of the week during a school day, Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, would be added to the list of schools who have experienced a tragedy no parent, no teacher, no student, should ever have to experience—a school shooting.

A 14-year-old boy who attended the high school decided to unload a gift that was given to him by his father this past Christmas— an AR-15. Last year, the shooter had been investigated by the FBI due to threats he had made online about conducting a school shooting. Unfortunately, the FBI did not have enough evidence to pursue any type of charges at the time.

The shooter is being charged with four counts of murder and will be charged as an adult.

In a surprising move, the father of the shooter was arrested the day after the shooting and is being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. In a news conference, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Chris Hosey stated that the father is being charged because of “knowingly allowing” his son to have access to weapons.

In total, four people were killed and nine injured. Out of the nine people that were shot, eight were students and one a teacher. All who were injured are expected to make a full recovery.

The last mass shooting to occur in Georgia on a school campus was in 1999, a month after the infamous Columbine High School massacre that shook the nation because of the atrocious nature in which it was conducted and the video evidence and writings the shooters left behind. The shooting that took place at Rockdale County High School in Georgia resulted in six people being injured. Fortunately, there were no deaths.

This incident, unfortunately, is now the worst mass shooting but also defined as a mass killing as a result of the four deaths that occurred.

So far this year, when it comes to mass killings (when four or more deaths occur within 24 hours), there have been 131 people killed. Last year, there were a total of 42 mass killings in the U.S. that resulted in 217 deaths.

The common denominator of all these killings is obvious. If you cannot see it, it’s time to open your eyes.

Remembering Those Who Died

Richard Aspinwall

Richard Aspinwall was a math teacher at Apalachee High School. He taught geometry and had been with the high school for two years. Prior to coming to Apalachee High School, he taught and coached at Mountain View High School, just 20 miles west of Winder.

Ariel Bowling, a sophomore who took Mr. Asinwall's geometry course in 9th grade, said of him as she was tearing up, "He would always push his students to make sure they were doing well in his class. He was just really sweet."

Mr. Aspinwall was also an assistant coach for the football team, serving as the defensive coordinator. Head Football Coach Mike Hancock said of him, "He was a girl dad…He loved being a girl dad. They had T-shirts that he wore every week that his wife made, and you could tell they loved him. When he came over, their faces lit up. They loved Dad."

Mr. Aspinwall leaves behind his wife, Shayna, a teacher, and two beautiful girls. A statement released from the family said:

"Shayna and the girls want to thank the community and also let the world know just how amazing their husband and dad was. Ricky was their nucleus, and he died as a hero trying to save his student's lives."

Christina Irimie

Christina Irimie was also a math teacher at the high school. Her journey to becoming a teacher began when she immigrated to the United States from Romania in 2012. Her husband encouraged her to pursue teaching, which she loved.

"Christina and her husband were not able to have any biological children of their own, so she decided to turn around and love her students as her own," said Corneliu Caprar, a close friend of Christina and her husband.

On the day of the shooting, Mrs. Irimie brought a cake she baked from home along with pizza. She wanted to celebrate her birthday, although belated, with her kids. Instead of having a joyous moment of celebration with her students, she died protecting them.

Mrs. Irimie was very active in the community, especially with the church. She was a devout Christian. She loved to dance and was a traditional Romanian folk dancer. In her free time, she taught kids to dance. She especially enjoyed dancing with her husband.

Gabrielle Buth, who is a relative of Mrs. Irimie, said of her sacrifice:

"That's just who she was, she would spring into action. She died for her children like any good mom would do, like a good teacher would do. She couldn't have her own, so these where her kids."

Mason Schermerhorn

Roblox. Genshin. He loved playing videogames just like other 14-year-old boys and girls his age. He laughed and smiled, and "He was the sweetest, most loving soul with the biggest smile and will be missed dearly," a family friend wrote on the family's GoFundMe.

Another family friend, Rebecca Good, said of him, "He loved everyone, no matter what they had or what disabilities they had; he loved everyone for who they were…. It's going to be hard; it's going to be different."

Christian Angulo

Christian's mother, Emma, moved her family from California to Georgia in search of a better life for her family and a safer place for her children to grow up. Talking with Univision, her mother tried to fight back her tears as she told reporters about the hug Christian gave her and his father the night before.

"I will always carry that in my heart."

He loved video games and his computer and enjoyed playing with his friends, just like any 14-year-old kid would. Lisette, Christian's older sister, wrote on the family's GoFundMe, saying of her brother, "He was a very good kid and very sweet and so caring. He was loved by many. His loss was so sudden and unexpected. We are truly heartbroken…He really didn't deserve this."

His loss now leaves a gaping hole in his family and the friends he is leaving behind. His mom said:

"I miss him…I wish it was a dream."

The Final Minute

1. Just four days into the new school year, tragedy struck Joppatowne High School in Maryland when a 16-year-old student allegedly shot and killed a 15-year-old classmate during a fight in the men's bathroom. This incident, coming on the heels of another deadly school shooting in Georgia, underscores the ongoing crisis of gun violence in American schools. The swift response from law enforcement, with over 100 officers on scene within 15 minutes, highlights the grim reality that schools must now be prepared for such emergencies. As the community grapples with this senseless loss of life, questions about school safety, gun control, and the mental health of our youth are once again at the forefront of national discussion.
   

2. An interesting event took place at Cunningham Elementary School in Wichita Falls, Texas — it became the unexpected birthplace for a teacher's premature baby. Principal Amy Simmons and teacher Ashley Strain found themselves in an extraordinary situation when they had to deliver classroom aide Paige Lockstedt's baby in the school bathroom. The entire ordeal, from water breaking to ambulance arrival, took a mere nine minutes, with the newborn weighing just 2 pounds, 9 ounces. Everything happened so fast that most teachers and students were unaware that it even happened. Simmons said of the ordeal, “Ashley went back to teaching. I went to lunch duty, and we had a staff meeting at the end of the day after school…So, we just kind of continued on with our day.”
   

3. Tragedy struck the Florida high school football community when Chance Gainer, an 18-year-old player from Port St. Joe High School, collapsed and died during a game against Liberty County High School. This devastating loss has left the community in profound sorrow, with school officials describing Gainer as a remarkable athlete and exceptional young man. Gainer's death is part of a disturbing trend, as he is one of at least six young football players who have died this season alone across the country bringing to the forefront of calls for reform to high school sports, raising serious questions about player safety and the measures needed to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.

4. Nebraska's controversial "school choice" law, LB 1402, which uses state funds to offset private K-12 school costs, is set to face a public vote this November. This law, a modified version of its predecessor LB 753, has sparked intense debate and legal challenges, including a lawsuit arguing that it's not eligible for referendum as it's a direct appropriation. The "Support Our Schools" group, which successfully collected signatures for a partial repeal of LB 1402, faces opposition from proponents of school choice, setting the stage for a contentious battle over the future of education funding in Nebraska. This situation highlights the ongoing national debate over school choice initiatives and their impact on public education funding, with Nebraska now at the forefront of this divisive issue.

Closing Bell

On this day in 1974
President Gerald Ford grants former President Nixon “full, free, and an absolute pardon” of the alleged crimes he might have committed during his presidency with an emphasis on the infamous Watergate scandal. The scandal involved Nixon covering up a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in June 1972.