Assignment 4- Ellie Phillips

On December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, children were evacuated from Sandy Hook Elementary School by police after a mass shooting. At this horrific event 20 children and six school staffers were shot dead. Each child was terrified and crying, but this event didn’t just shock the Sandy Hook’s students, it shocked the nation. Like any devastating situation, the Sandy Hook school shooting has a lasting impact on security as well as fear. In response to the shooting, schools across the country amped up their security protocol-or at least refined it. Similar to the 9/11 aftermath which resulted in increased airport security, both events also enhanced a fear of these traumas returning. The Sandy Hook shooting instilled fear in students including myself. Though I find a mass school shooting to be extremely unlikely, I know it’s not impossible. Because of the possibility, I cannot ignore the thought of it occurring at my own school which of course results in fear. Overall, this photo made America ache mostly for the children directly affected, but also for those who now hold the same fear of this occurring at their own school.