The Parkland Massacre & Thoughts and Prayers
upon reviewing the Parkland High School shootings, when do “thoughts and prayers emerge as frivolous?
Trigger alert. This article contains elements of an unfortunate event. Reader discretion is advised.
On any given morning, people often wake up, get ready for the day, eat their breakfast, then face the world. Some may include prayers before heading off, including requests for happiness, success, and protection over themselves and their loved ones. In contrast, others leave their homes without a single thought about God, let alone prayers for good fortune. These are two different types of people who cross paths routinely. Yet sometimes, these contrasting individuals can find themselves in the same tragic event sooner or later. It may seem natural to offer sentiments post-tragedy. However, upon reviewing the Parkland High School shootings, when do “thoughts and prayers emerge as frivolous?
Parkland Florida Mass Shooting
On February 14, 2018, roughly 900 students and staff started their routines by waking up like usual. They then got ready for the day; likely, some even said a little prayer. Following, they headed off to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, located in Parkland, Florida. That same morning, a third type of person woke up. He began as the rest, dressed like them, and was nearly ready. But first, he needed to check his backpack for additional rounds, secure his armor, and conceal his weapons. All before heading off to ruin the lives of unsuspecting individuals forever.
Around 2:19 pm that same Valentine’s Day, 19-year-old Nikolas Jacob Cruz was dropped off at this Parkland High School by an unaware Uber driver. After the deranged person was left there, a school security officer noticed this imposter walking “purposefully.” Cruz then forged his way into the building. Armed and ready to transform a day of love into a day of catastrophe.
Cruz likely triggered the fire alarm upon entering, which confused those in the building. As students started exiting their classrooms, He mercilessly shot and killed three of them straight away with his AR-15. Others on that same floor immediately fled back to their classrooms, running for safety. This lunatic then calmly proceeded down the hallway, searching for more innocent blood. He then shot directly through walls into the classrooms. He also fired his weapon through the windows of locked doors, causing further death and injury. The ones inside had little protection against his high-powered rifle.
Cruz eventually reached the Holocaust History class. Where only moments before, the Teacher, Ivy Schamis, taught a lesson on hatred-fueled events of the past. With swastikas scribbled onto his ammunition magazines, Cruz proceeded to fire round after round into this anti-hate classroom. But it was his own hatred that killed two more and injured five additional students. “OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!” one teenager screamed in the background, as later heard from a cellphone video.
In the meantime, a staff member activated the lockdown protocol after a terrifying and confusing initial 2 minutes. As it now became unmistakenly obvious, an active shooter was on campus. Unfortunately, the confusion from the fire alarm had some people left stranded amid the hallways as the doors began locking. All while the school security officer allegedly hid in a closet upon Cruz’s initial entry. Shockingly, those who made it out reportedly witnessed yet another armed resource officer that stayed outside during the entire ordeal. There, the officer was accused of observing the massacre unfold from a personal safe distance.
Back inside, Cruz then killed two stranded staff members on his way up to the second floor. He also wounded four more teens. He ruthlessly cleared his way to the Teacher’s lounge, firing several bullets into the hurricane-proof glass. He intended on having a bird’s-eye view and then fire into the fleeing crowds outside. However, after his attempts to tower over the scrambling students failed, Cruz then moved onto the third floor. It was here, at a safe distance from advancing police officers, he tried to continue his reign of terror. Eventually, it was also here when he ceased fire, but only after taking another teen’s life.
Some speculate that Cruz’s gun jammed at this point. So he abandoned his horrendous act and shifted his focus to escaping. He then quickly changed his clothes, blending with the others by wearing those same school colors. But only because he could no longer fire his gun.
Cruz was a former student at the same school only two years prior. The school expelled him for bad behavior then and ordered him never to return. So instead of graduating with a diploma in hand, he held onto anger and a t-shirt — plotting revenge for this moment. Dressed like the others, this sociopath then slipped past everyone, posing as another panicked student. He managed to temporarily escape his inevitable outcome.
Cruz left behind gunsmoke, screaming students, and utter devastation. In only 6 minutes and 20 seconds, 15 teens who barely even started life now lay dead. Plus, three deceased staff members and several other injured victims. Many of whom were in desperate need of immediate help. The police apprehended Cruz within an hour in a nearby neighborhood cul-de-sac. But all too late for the utter devastation caused by his horrific carnage.
17-year-old Joaquin Oliver was an anti-gun violence activist and, unfortunately, one of the victims. Oliver’s close friend, Victoria Gonzalez, later confronted Nikolas Cruz directly in the courtroom. Victoria said, “On behalf of Joaquin, “You may have taken my body, and for that, F*ck you! But you cannot take my love.” Victoria also wore the yellow anti-gun violence t-shirt that Oliver had on the night before Cruz killed him. She said it translates from Spanish to English as, “You with bullets, I with balls.”
Oh, and by the way, the part where Cruz’s gun jammed — a miracle, Right? Some individuals will stop at that little detail and declare “answered prayers.” But that begs the question; why were all other prayers ignored before the first death upon entering the school? Would any of the victims’ families agree with such a statement that “God jammed his gun”? Furthermore, why didn’t God cause the Uber driver to get into an accident before Cruz arrived at the school? Why didn’t God deny Cruz gun access in the first place? Why were all the thoughts and prayers from prior mass shootings unheard? Ah, and there lies the caveat.
The same folks who flap their lips and give thoughts and prayers should put that energy into making a difference. Like making it more difficult to access slaughter weapons. Because God doesn’t change laws, the representatives we voted into office have the almighty power to stop mass shootings before they even occur.