A vivid reminder of responsibility on guns

On Sept. 10, my school went into a “hold in place.” We thought nothing of it, until the intercom said “lockdown.” Lights off. Doors locked. We ran to the corners and hid in silence. For six minutes, we didn’t know if we’d live or die.

It was a false alarm. But those minutes changed me. Because, for the first time, the fear we’ve practiced for since kindergarten became real. I started school after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, so lockdown drills have always been normal. We’ve learned how to hide, how to stay quiet, how to survive.

For my parents, fire drills were their safety practice. For us, lockdowns are survival training. We’ve grown up expecting the sound we’ve only heard on TV.

When Columbine happened, America promised “never again.” Yet after Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde, NIU, and so many others, nothing has changed. That’s when the lights went out. Not just for those who died, but for every student who’s had to grow up in their shadow.

I’m not angry. I’m tired. Tired of drills, tired of fear, tired of waiting for the next tragedy. It’s time to turn the lights back on. Our legislators need to wake up to this simple truth: we deserve schools where the loudest sound is learning, not gunshots.

Tyler Barrus

Huntley