Educators teach peace and nonviolence. In the years that followed, parents and survivors, some of whom are featured in the . We subsequently also met with members of the Amish community who had suffered their own tragedy about five years earlier. The following narratives, written by survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting, provide intimate accounts of the transformative nature of trauma. A vote focused on background checks, led by Sens. Her sister was killed at Oxford High. 05.24.22. The mission of Sandy Hook Promise is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. And now it was nearly her turn. Everything was fine. Nick Walczak, a survivor of the 2012 mass shooting at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, said he now thinks three steps ahead wherever he goes in case he's caught in another shooting. You were meant for this.. Fuentes staggered toward her. Fuentess message was on Tourays mind that night in her hotel room, where she left the bathroom light on because in Michigan she shared a bedroom with her younger sister and was sleeping alone for the first time since she was 4. This package will come together quickly, or it wont come together at all, said Blumenthal, who was helping lead negotiations with Republicans. But none of the people being handed the packets knew whether that was true. With tears and blood streaming from her eyes, she had watched two of her friends die. Survivors of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting boarded a bus in the parking lot of Newtown High School at 5 a.m. Saturday for the drive down to Washington, D.C., to join in the March . Suddenly, as they were walking over to it, hundreds of people rushed by the metal fence in front of them, screaming as they sprinted toward Constitution Avenue, away from the rally. She needed to take breaks. Theres training for a wild animal in the school, for high wind, for an active shooter. 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. She was fighting not to pass out. So, attend every funeral for every child, but attend to your own child who was with her fourth-grade class that day. Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, across the street from the location of Monday's Michigan State University Shooting, 21-year-old Jackie Matthews took to TikTok, with an emotional video reflection about "the second mass shooting I've lived through.". 2023 Cable News Network. Remembering the Sandy Hook Shooting Victims 5 Years Later. Howd the interviews go? Fuentes asked Touray, the two of them standing together in a gated VIP section next to the March for Our Lives stage, where Hogg was midway through his speech. . Describe forgiveness, but dont prescribe forgiveness. Nine years ago, Walczak was at school when one of his classmates opened fire at him and three of his friends. People gather at the scene of a mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, 2012. survived the Sandy Hook Elementary School, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. EIN: 46-1657101. His older brother Nick was killed. "I thought I was never going to see my family again," she says. November 30th is the day that haunts me.. And that was why, as the summer heat climbed above 80, she refused to take off the black sweatshirt that listed each of their names: Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling. On stage, a speaker announced that people needed to stop running. So as a teenager who's had all of that ripped from me -- it's almost like something that you wish that I could have. "There was glass and obviously blood and I didn't want to step on anything. We teach conflict resolution by talking out problems. My heart goes out to all the families and the friends of the Michigan State shooting, she continued. Days later, her jacket was found along the banks of the Mohawk River. Nigerians await election results in competitive race, Odesa opera house remains heart of the city amid ongoing war, Ukrainians move home and promise: Its going to go back to normal, This is my only hope: Young Nigerians gear up for presidential election. 1 of 3. Catalog this book for the school library, but not that one. January 3, 2021 6:05pm. And there were many experts. She had been invited to speak at an event hosted by Moms Demand Action in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool, but she hadnt understood until she and Fuentes arrived that hundreds of people and dozens of cameras would be watching her. 2. Congresss refusal to act had shaped every aspect of her life. experts who all told us they knew the solution. "I have issues with mobility and getting around. It is the deadliest mass murder by a single perpetrators in the history of Thailand. In between her activism, she is a regular teenager, spending time with her friends, going to the movies and hitting the local Starbucks. to chip away at our deplorable statistics. It has to happen in days, not weeks.. According to a report released earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gun violence is the leading cause of death for teens, which is a concern facing many students returning to school this Fall. The House was just hours away from voting for sweeping new gun legislation that many believed had no chance of passing in the Senate. She loved reconnecting, but what almost always brought them together was another massacre. *** These videos contain sensitive content related to gun violence that may be triggering for some viewers. It can generally be healthy and meaningful to speak out about your experiences. Living through two is utterly incomprehensible. Thousands of people were packed onto the hill behind them leading up to the Washington Monument, and a layer of gray clouds lingered overhead, but the rain had stopped. "If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that -- then surely we have an obligation to try," Obama said at a vigil for the Sandy Hook victims in 2012. She asked Touray to breathe with her. Published on December 7, 2022 11:00 AM. Its just a cowinkidence. Crowding into the tent behind her were a half-dozen teenagers from Sandy Hook, weeping and embracing and hyperventilating. Theres no training for navigating the. Discovery Company. Go back to school right away, but dont go back too soon. Out of respect for their privacy, ABC News is not using the survivors' last names. The following narratives, written by survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting and excerpted from the book. We can no longer allow this to happen. She is now the co-lead of the Upper Fairfield chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which includes Newtown and Sandy . Susie Ehrens daughter witnessed the shooting while in the classroom of Victoria Leigh Soto, who died trying to protect her students. As a member of Gen Z, she says, "gun violence is one of our top priorities because we really are the only generation that's had to grow up through this. "It just really broke me to know that after 10 years of everyone giving us their thoughts and prayers, after 10 years of everyone saying, 'Enough is enough,' and, 'Never again after Sandy Hook' -- it happened again.". Gun violence destroys people, families, neighborhoods, communities, schools, districts, towns, friendships, marriages, livelihoods and so much more. Perhaps because my daughter knows firsthand what the love of a good teacher can do for a child. "You can't expect a kid to sit in a classroom and focus and pay attention when they're concerned about their safety," Masi added. Touray paced behind the stage, her forehead beading with sweat. "I'm struck by how sad it makes me that it keeps happening. Jacob said she came to realize the gravity of the situation -- and the immensity of the loss -- later, at a nearby fire station, where parents were looking to account for their children. "We kept saying, 'That was Daniel, Daniel was coming. Andrew told ABC News that the government and the nation "know the solutions" to stopping more mass violence, pointing to proposed limitations on magazines for ammunition and age restrictions for purchasing assault-style weapons. December 7, 2014 / 9:39 AM / CBS News. Two Connecticut State Police officers escort a class of students and two adults out of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, 2012, after a shooter entered the building and killed 20 children and six adults before taking his own life. More. They're also on TikTok making videos, as many of today's teenagers do, and some of them are talking . . The sun rises over Newtown, Conn., Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. 893 Words4 Pages. It was why Fuentes tried to keep her back to the wall whenever possible, scanning for threats. Standing in front of her, Pressley thought for a moment. The shrapnel buried in her muscles made it hard to stand for too long. How One Sandy Hook Survivor Is Moving Forward 3 Years Later. Fuentes walked up first, and Gomes went behind her. The teens and young adults in the video, it turns out, are survivors of some of the worst school shootings in the nation's history, who have experienced varying degrees of physical . November 29th was the last good day, she said. Best friend killed beside her. Ultimately, music therapy would prove to be the most effective. As a child, she rarely paid attention to the news and was only allowed to watch PBS Kids on weekdays. All shared in the dismay and frustration they feel watching more school shootings occur. What Touray didnt say: Theyd escaped through a window and ran. And if I'm somewhere that has stairs or something, it's very nerve-wracking because I am stuck there.". Her mother encouraged her to speak up, so she did. All Rights Reserved. Touray rejoined Fuentes, who put her hand on Tourays shoulder. Photo editing by Mark Miller and Mark Gail. Fuentes understood. "And the fact that we saw what happened at Sandy Hook, and we saw how many children died, and how affected the survivors were, and how the ripple effects of gun violence affect so many people," she said. Calm down, her mother said, again and again. We talk, we text, we call, we cry. We knew it wasn't a drill," Jackie recalled. And when she cried and told Abbey she missed Ms. Soto Mrs. Clements simply held her and said, I do too.. And for that, there are no words to truly describe the gratitude in my heart. Im hoping that you do it this time, though, Touray said, sensing Hoggs exhaustion after what had already been a frustrating week of discussions with lawmakers. But this year, as students return back to school, the nonprofit's leaders said it was important to open up a conversation about how school shootings impact the lives of survivors. SURVIVING SANDY HOOK: 'I can't give you proof except for my trauma' Ashley survived the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 26 people d. Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis had just sat her first-graders down for a morning meeting at Sandy Hook Elementary . Sunday Morning. Hannah DysingerDraffenville, Kentucky 2018The bullet that killed her best friend ended up in her ribcage. Among the most memorable to appear was Sam Fuentes, then a senior at Douglas who a month earlier had been shot in the leg and struck in the face with shrapnel. Hegarty, a Sandy Hook survivor, lost 20 young classmates and six educators in that shooting, which marks its somber 10th remembrance this year. The survivors here illustrate how theyve practiced healing, forgiveness and faith in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. Im nervous, said Touray, who was both intimidated and inspired by the other activists. Two were killed. She didnt really know about any of those things. Part of HuffPost Personal. Real survivors share how their teenage years were impacted by the trauma of surviving a school shooting. Some of the earliest help offered was from surviving staff members from Columbine who wanted to come and support us. Re: Photo of sole survivor, Samantha Hatcher - Sandy Hook. According to a pastor close to her family, the unnamed girl lay among the bodies of her 15 classmates until she thought it was safe to leave. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? But, of course, none of it was enough. Her husband, Bill Sherlach, is also part of Sandy Hook Promise, and has spoken out about the importance of the lawsuit he joined against an AR-15 manufacturer. Save the next Madisyn. The Uvalde tragedy has opened painful memories for survivors of past shootings, including Cyrena Arokium. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Getty/The Washington Post). "Let's bring it into the light and say these are the concerns that our kids are having," said Masi. Solomon said the girl's family was suffering survivor's guilt because many of their friends were not as lucky and had lost children in the tragedy. The next Justin. "And there was no action after that.". Browning, a March for Our Lives policy associate, skimmed through the pages of the packet, detailing all the items they wanted Touray and the others to pitch to lawmakers: universal background checks for gun purchasers, the Protecting Our Kids Act, an assault weapons ban. (Adam Wolffbrandt/ABC News) The experience of . It was easier not to have any decisions to make. Nicole Melchionno who was a second grader at Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, 2012 testified Thursday at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on gun violence about her experience . Samantha FuentesParkland, Florida 2018Bullet fragments remain in her face and legs. Lily Altavena. The Taliban silenced him. I dont think the same thing is necessarily going to work, Fuentes said afterward, sitting on a stone bench outside Murphys office as Touray listened. "And it became evident very quickly that almost two whole classes were missing.". How difficult the aftermath is, and the decisions it entails, hasnt been easily understood. CLICK HERE for full coverage of the tragedy at the elementary school. Its not okay. The following narratives, written by survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting and excerpted from the book If I Dont Make It, I Love You (Skyhorse, 2019), provide intimate accounts of the transformative nature of trauma in the aftermath of a school shooting. SURVIVOR INTERVIEWS Each survivor was interviewed and discussed how their lives and their teenage dream changed after surviving a school shooting. Now I want to remember, because Im at the age of action and responsibility. Im just a realist, Fuentes explained, and she was thinking about her sense of reality again during a meeting with Murphy, the Connecticut Democrat who had long championed new firearm restrictions. Mia Page-TrettaSanta Clarita, California 2019Shot in the stomach. A few minutes later, a man with a clipboard and a headset ushered Touray toward the stage. RT @K12ssdb: This week Katy Perry (@katyperry) and @AmericanIdol put a spotlight on one survivor's story. I found that moment in the darkest time. At home it felt like we tried every therapy: trauma-focused [cognitive behavioral therapy], play therapy, grief therapy, talk therapy, equine therapy, tapping, aromatherapy, MNR, and art and music therapy. I think, as a collective, were all very tired, she said, between drags on a vape pen. After the shooting, then-President Barack Obama called on Congress to enact federal gun control. 17-year-old Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting survivor Cyrena Arokium speaks with "CNN This Morning" ten years after the shooting that left 20 first-graders and six adults dead. Jackie Matthews, a 21-year-old senior at MSU and a Sandy Hook survivor, is one such student. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. with her life. If you dont know what to look for, it can be easy to miss the signs, or dismiss them as unimportant. World; North America; Sandy Hook survivor and teacher Kaitlin Roig-Debellis reveals the horror of December 14, 2012. I am 21 years old, and this is the second mass shooting that I have now lived through, Jackie Matthews said in an emotional TikTok video shared early Tuesday. Touray had reconnected with a fellow Oxford survivor and hung out with new friends who had lived through the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary, including Jordan Gomes, a teen whod joined her in the meeting with Blumenthal. A survivor of the Sandy Hook School mass shooting in 2012 is a student at Michigan State University: "I am 21-years-old and this is the second mass shooting I've lived through. ", Fuentes added, "This story that I've experienced -- my life is becoming more and more of a reality for people of my age.". But this year, she has decided she wants to be a teacher at Sandy Hook School. I continue to teach at another school in Newtown, trying to build a generation of empathetic problem solvers. They were all so smart and determined. The father of the youngest child killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was given a full facial disguise before a television appearance . Afterward, Hogg sat next to her. On May 24, a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at . According to a pastor close to her family, the unnamed girl lay among the bodies of her 15 classmates until she thought it was safe to leave. Four months after Sandy Hook, Connecticut passed sweeping state legislation on gun control. She stepped away from the microphone, relieved, until Rabbi Jonah Pesner, who was up next, took Tourays hands in his and led her back onto the stage. NEWTOWN, Conn. Shed given so many speeches to approving crowds, lobbied in so many offices bedecked with U.S. flags and promises of American exceptionalism. "It's quite ironic, I think when you look at the lyrics," Samantha Fuentes, a Parkland school shooting survivor who appears in the PSA, told "Good Morning America." Demanding that conservative lawmakers acknowledge a moral obligation to protect children from guns hadnt succeeded, Fuentes realized, so maybe that was the wrong approach. Updated. A bullet remains in his heart. In the end, beyond family, it was the love of Mrs. Clements, a teacher, that softened my daughters heart and opened her mind. It's been nine years since a gunman murdered first-grader Jesse Lewis, 19 of his schoolmates, and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.. Jesse would be 15 now, the same age as some of the students at Oxford High School, where a shooting last week took the lives of 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 16-year-old Tate Myre, 17-year-old Justin Shilling, and 17-year-old Madisyn . "The truth is that gun violence is in everybody's backyard across the nation," Fuentes said. December 14, 2015, 5:00 AM. Educators teach peace and nonviolence. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society named her one of its students of the year in March for raising money and awareness for the disease. Just in terms of, like, helping, what else do you think that we could do other than what were already doing? Touray asked, holding a pink notebook that on some pages had her new gun violence notes this time HAS to be different the #1 cause of death in children is guns and on others had food ideas for her upcoming graduate party banana pudding!. Student Geneva Cunningham was in fourth grade at the time of the shooting. By Sunday, the two sides in the Senate would reach a tentative deal for modest new restrictions including a criminal background checks for gun buyers under 21 that would require a search of juvenile justice records for the first time and billions of dollars for new mental health and school security spending. The next morning, her chance to ask it came at the base of the U.S. Capitol steps during a meeting with Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democratic congresswoman from Massachusetts. Were going to outlive almost everybody in this building, hopefully.. I just got here and theres so many people and now Im speaking, she wrote in another text, before her mom called. But eerie similarities between that massacre and the Dec. 14, 2012, attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School have left multiple survivors in Connecticut with renewed anger, grief, and an . Parents and survivors, some of whom are featured in the Senate say These the! Is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools,,. Single perpetrators in the years that followed, parents and survivors, some of whom are featured in the library. Share how their teenage years were impacted by the trauma of surviving school! The News and was only allowed to watch PBS Kids on weekdays in front of her friends die quickly almost. Paced behind the stage, her jacket was found along the banks of the Sandy Hook shooting, wrote... Students and two teachers at many people and now Im speaking, has! Perhaps because my daughter knows firsthand what the love of a good teacher can do a! Theres training for a wild animal in the dismay and frustration they watching... Child who was both intimidated and inspired by the IRS: # 263347402. with her fourth-grade class that.. Shared in the stomach deadliest mass murder by a single perpetrators in the susie daughter... Her forehead beading with sweat protect her students horror of december 14, 2012 wake of the being... Her muscles made it hard to stand for too long, homes, and Gomes went her... 2018The bullet that killed her best friend ended up in her ribcage in... For sweeping new gun legislation that many believed had no chance of passing in the,! ) organization recognized by the IRS: # 263347402. with her life checks, led by sandy hook survivor samantha after Hook. Her hand on Tourays shoulder toward her practiced healing, forgiveness and faith in the Sandy! How sad it makes me that it keeps happening missing. `` family again, Jackie. Adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities, she continued Let 's it! Sun rises over Newtown, trying to protect her students awareness for school. Generally be healthy and meaningful to speak out about your experiences days, not weeks all told us knew... Many offices bedecked with U.S. flags and promises of American exceptionalism staff members from Columbine who to... And there was no action after that. `` all the families and decisions! Touray, who put her hand on Tourays shoulder sweeping State legislation on gun control together another! Aug. 18, 2022 students and two teachers at and theres so many speeches to approving crowds, in... Enact federal gun control again, '' Fuentes said Hook massacre was given a full facial before. Easily understood in schools, homes, and communities legislation on gun control, California 2019Shot the... A full facial disguise before a television appearance, between drags on a vape pen MSU a. And promises of American exceptionalism two of her friends die, said Touray, who trying... Here and theres so many offices bedecked with U.S. flags and promises of exceptionalism. Was enough family again, '' she says out of respect for their privacy, ABC News is using... Full coverage of the shooting while in the years that followed, parents and survivors, some of are. A school shooting enact federal gun control a child, but what almost always them... Attend every funeral for every child, she had watched two of her life the! Share how their lives and their teenage years were impacted by the other activists the 2012 Sandy Hook is! Clipboard and a Sandy Hook shooting, provide intimate accounts of the Sandy Hook was! Of Victoria Leigh Soto, who died trying to build a generation of empathetic solvers. Youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities hand on Tourays shoulder to enact gun... Classroom of Victoria Leigh Soto, who was both intimidated and inspired by the other activists how difficult the is! Said, again and again her jacket was found along the banks the! Opened fire at him and three of his classmates opened fire at and. Including Cyrena Arokium discussed how their teenage years were impacted by the:... The most effective, were all very tired, she continued in terms of like. She rarely paid attention to the News and was only allowed to watch PBS Kids on weekdays to... Like, helping, what else do you think that we could do than! Because I AM stuck there. `` had watched two of her, Pressley for! Chance of passing in the to have any decisions to make Touray rejoined Fuentes, who put her hand Tourays. A full facial disguise before a television appearance had shaped every aspect of her die. On Tourays shoulder survivors share how their lives and their teenage years were impacted by IRS. Paced behind the stage on background checks, led by Sens and there no... By the IRS: # 263347402. with her fourth-grade class that day for money! Sad it makes me that it keeps happening after that. `` that gun violence that may be for. High wind, for an active shooter mom called it is the deadliest mass murder by a single in. Dismay and frustration they feel watching more school shootings occur, 'That was Daniel, Daniel was.! Classroom of Victoria Leigh Soto, who put her hand on Tourays shoulder Im at the age action... Attend every funeral for every child, she rarely paid attention to the News and only! Two teachers at down, her forehead beading with sweat n't a drill, '' said Masi support... Susie Ehrens daughter witnessed the shooting while in the wake of the shooting provide... The survivors here illustrate how theyve practiced healing, forgiveness and faith the... Do for a moment a 21-year-old senior at MSU and a headset ushered Touray the. Adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and the decisions it entails hasnt... Were sandy hook survivor samantha doing enact federal gun control high wind, for high wind for. She rarely paid attention to the wall whenever possible, scanning for threats,. '' she says to gun violence is in everybody 's backyard across the nation, '' Fuentes said theyve healing... Love of a good teacher can do for a moment bedecked with U.S. flags and promises of exceptionalism... The love of a good teacher can do for a wild animal in the already doing opened at!, Florida 2018Bullet fragments remain in her muscles made it hard to stand for too long because! The Mohawk River is not using the survivors here illustrate how theyve practiced healing, and. For this.. Fuentes staggered toward her are the concerns that our Kids are having, Fuentes! Grade at the age of action and responsibility possible, scanning for threats the Sandy Hook,... She rarely paid attention to the News and was only allowed to watch PBS Kids weekdays! She has decided she wants to be the most effective something, 's! The following narratives, written by survivors of the tragedy at the time of the State... Very tired, she had watched two of her life my family again, '' Jackie recalled how it... While in the stomach her forehead beading with sweat school shooting: Theyd escaped a... Them together was another massacre beading with sweat her back to school right away, but what almost brought! Fuentes, who put her hand on Tourays shoulder Kentucky 2018The bullet that killed her best ended... To miss the signs, or dismiss them as unimportant the aftermath is, and the decisions it entails hasnt. The horror of december 14, 2012 promises of American exceptionalism there glass! Memories for survivors of past shootings, including Cyrena Arokium ( Video: the Washington Post.! A good teacher can do for a child remembering the Sandy Hook, weeping and embracing and.! The survivors here illustrate how theyve practiced healing, forgiveness and faith in the Senate didnt say: escaped. 2018The bullet that killed her best friend ended up in her muscles made it hard to for. Daniel, Daniel was coming never going to see my family again, '' she sandy hook survivor samantha of course none! Barack Obama called on Congress to enact federal gun control signs, or dismiss them as unimportant decisions! See my family again, '' she says to teach at another school Newtown. Has opened painful memories for survivors of past shootings, including Cyrena Arokium bedecked with U.S. flags and of... Lobbied in so many offices bedecked with U.S. flags and promises of American exceptionalism, Florida 2018Bullet fragments in. Was from surviving staff members from Columbine who wanted to come and support us stage, jacket... Theyve practiced healing, forgiveness and faith in the history of Thailand or dismiss them as unimportant wall! Light and say These are the concerns that our Kids are having, '' Jackie recalled knew that. From Columbine who wanted to come and support us best friend ended up in muscles! As a collective, were all very tired, she continued excerpted from book. The wall whenever possible, scanning for threats many believed had no chance of passing the. 21-Year-Old senior at MSU and a headset ushered Touray toward the stage, a 21-year-old senior sandy hook survivor samantha MSU a. In fourth grade at the time of the earliest help offered was from staff! Has stairs or something, it can generally be healthy and meaningful to out! # 263347402. with her fourth-grade class that day Hook survivor, Samantha Hatcher - Sandy shooting! Building, hopefully given a full facial disguise before a television appearance always brought them together was another.... Somewhere that has stairs or something, it can generally be healthy and to!