MARY MORGAN SMITH 2/19

On Wednesday, February 14, 2018, expelled student Nikolas Cruz, 19, attempted to fire at fleeing students at a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, ultimately killing 17 students. Cruz confessed to carrying out the killings, and was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder Thursday morning. Before the shooting, Cruz was staying with the family of someone he met at the high school after his adoptive parents died. The host family knew he had a gun, but had it locked up, and believed that that was going to be enough, and was unaware of any mental illness beyond depression over his adoptive mother's recent death. According to the sheriff's office, they had received a range of emergency calls that included reports of a mentally ill person, child/elderly abuse, a domestic disturbance and a missing person, over the past few years regarding Cruz. State Senate Gary Farmer is calling for legislation to ban assault weapons and to establish a gun registry; not only just focusing on increasing school security, since that could lead shooters to shoot at other spots like churches and parks. This tragedy has sparked the reoccurring questions on gun control laws. In the past few years there has been many events in the United States dealing with school shootings leading to the death of many innocent lives. While some see the banning of assault weapons as a threat to their right of the second amendment, the right to bear arms, i personally think it is better to be safe than sorry. I think that if assault weapons should be banned and or have strong restrictions applied on them. I think the US needs to change their gun laws in order to protect innocent lives. This event is heartbreaking and effects the lives of all americans. No parent should be afraid to send their child to school, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/florida-school-shooting/index.html