Students are filing into class, wearing their backpacks and filled with optimism for the new day, only for that to vanish under open gunfire that silences everyone. This is not a fictional story; it is the reality of every single American student in 2025. As young students navigate through classrooms and hallways, they do not just face academic pressure, but also the pressure of having their lives in danger. Schools are meant to be places of learning and making new friends, but they have increasingly become a place of tragedy.
Kids across the nation headed back to school in August, but the sounds of gunfire still hang in the air. As of Sept. 23, 2025, at least 26 K-12 shootings have killed or hurt people, based on CNN’s count. The K-12 School Shooting Database lists 158 times guns were fired on school property by early Sept. This includes bullets fired and guns shown. For the kids, whether in recess or studying for the SATs, each number means a long-lost dream. It leaves families in grief and pain, along with schools and communities changed.
One hard moment was on Sept. 10 at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado. A 16-year-old student identified as Desmond Holly shot two classmates, then he turned the gun on himself and died the next day. The shooting happened in the middle of the school day. Students ran for safety, and their fun turned into fear. Governor Jared Polis called it “senseless violence”. Another shooting occurred the same day, at Utah Valley University, which killed one person.
Two days after this incident, on Sept.12, at North Little Rock High School, a parent was shot while watching a football game. The same day in Pinetops, North Carolina, two teens were hurt by gunfire at a game at SouthWest Edgecombe High School.
During the 2024-2025 school year, on April 17, at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas, Texas, a student shot four people in a fight. The numbers just keep rising. Education Week tracks 11 school shootings with hurt or dead people as of Sept. 15. At least four kids died in K-12 schools this year. Empty desks tell the story.
Many lawmakers have dismissed these scenes, but the people did not. School walkouts and protests are among the most common ways students and parents can exercise their First Amendment rights, peacefully protest, spread awareness, and advocate for stricter gun laws. Students from Conifer High School, near Evergreen, had a walkout and protested against guns located at the Colorado State Capitol, skipping a full school day.
The most recent nationwide school walkout was on Sept. 5, 2025, conducted by the Students Demand Action organization amidst the announcement of the Catholic School shooting. Schools as close to Godwin as Hermitage High School participated in the walkout, according to a Virginia Mercury article. Many young students need to be aware of their rights and understand how they can peacefully protest without disrupting school activities. Many other schools in the nation also protested, not just for these listed, but for all school shootings that nobody has even heard of.
For every single person affected, they look up to the government for help on what to do. President Donald J. Trump is back in office after 2021. He strongly believes and supports gun rights; he sees them as a key to freedom. In February, Trump signed an order to protect the Second Amendment, which aimed to stop limits on guns. Project 2025, a plan made by Trump, wants more guns in schools. It talks about arming teachers and easier concealed carry. Trump spoke about this on Sept. 2. He said school shootings are a “big problem.” But he never pushed for any new laws or changes, while every day, school shootings are occurring and are continuing to rise.
After the chaos, parents hold photos of lost loved ones and will not be able to see them ever again. They pray for better days, yet in the meantime, schools teach lockdown drills like basic lessons. For students now, it is a hard truth: In a country with 400 million guns, along with the Second Amendment controversy, feeling safe is just a hope. As the bell rings for the next class, one question remains: How much longer until laws change? How many more incidents will occur for a lasting change?
