Survivor Stories: Oxford, Michigan

November 30, 2021.

A date that may not be recognized by some. However, this date silences others with the reminders of its horrifying memories. On November 30, 2021, an active shooter entered Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan. In doing so, this criminal killed four students and injured seven others using a semi-automatic handgun.

The nation exploded in outrage immediately after, supporting and caring for those affected by the devastating, horrifying, simply unnecessary event. However, three years later, our nation is silent.

Although for some it is simple enough to send their "thoughts and prayers" to Oxford (and promptly forget about the travesty months later) for others it isn't so simple. For others, this is their life. Victims of this deadly day, whether it be the families of those who were killed, or students physically present in the building, have to live with the weight of these horrors everyday. No one on this earth deserves to bear the heavy weight of this tragedy.

Three years later and no changes have been made.

We still witness school shootings every year. Our country is plagued with the blood of students who deserve the basic right to life.

For some, these tragedies are temporary, and therefore not contemplated after the fact. For others, however, this is life. And boy – how devastating of a life is that?

I pray we continue to fight to change these circumstances. I pray that our country wakes up and realizes that if nothing changes, NOTHING changes. Until we take a hard look at our legislature and analyze the steps we must take, the blood of American students will be on our hands.

In loving memory of Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Hana St. Juliana, the beautiful souls who were unjustly taken. Your presence lives within us every single day. One day we will make the changes that you so desperately deserved.