In the wake of this week’s devastating shooting at Apalachee High School, new details about the Gray family’s background have surfaced details that some see as glaring red flags that went unnoticed. Yet, amid the chaos and heartache, there are also stories of resilience, including the actions of a Spanish teacher who shared her experience on Facebook.
Mrs. Carter, the Spanish teacher, described how, as gunfire erupted, she instinctively told her 18 students it was just another drill—desperately trying to keep them calm as the reality of the situation hit her. With her own daughter, Anna, attending the same school but in a different part of the building, Carter was left to grapple with the gut-wrenching task of protecting her students while worrying about her own child. Luckily, all her students and her daughter made it out unharmed.
One day after the carnage, students gathered at a makeshift memorial outside the school in Winder, Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed, and nine others were injured. Carter took to Facebook to call her students not just brave, but “heroes,” saying they weren’t just students—they were “her kids” and they showed unbelievable courage.
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Georgia’s law mandating active shooter drills in schools kicked in earlier this year, requiring every school to complete at least one by October 1. While the drills may have helped minimize the damage this time, the numbers don’t lie: two students and two teachers lost their lives. And Georgia isn’t alone in its lack of preparedness. According to a February 2023 report by PBS, ProPublica, and The Texas Tribune, 13 states still don’t require regular active shooter drills in schools.
So here we are—another tragic school shooting, another round of “what ifs.” But if there’s one takeaway from Apalachee High, it’s this: the drills might save lives, but the system is far from bulletproof.
In the midst of all this, let’s not forget that Mrs. Carter was named Teacher of the Year for 2022-2023. If anyone deserves it again, it’s her.
Featured image via screengrab
