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  • Essay / Overview of the Santa Fe High School Mass Shootings

    Mass shootings are a big concern for many Americans. A person determined to mimic a mass shooting adds to the many previous shootings that have taken place in this country. The general public has had to deal with violence for decades. Mass shootings at public schools and elsewhere have left lawmakers perplexed about what the government can do to stop the killings. Mass shooters are becoming more aggressive and active shooters have become more common. There are many questionable factors as to why an individual would become a mass shooter; mental illness, deviant behavior, victim of school bullying, sociological and psychological disorders. To some extent, an individual cannot control these factors without the proper help. Although there is no widespread definition of what a mass shooter is, the Federal Bureau Investigation defines "active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area." (FBI). For example, the Santa Fe High School shooting was one of the most egregious attacks Americans have ever witnessed in our time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In fact, one of the speculations that researchers consider to be a factor is interpersonal interaction with others. Most juvenile shooters between the ages of 12 and 18 withdraw from interaction with others and appear to close themselves off from society. The minor feels like he has failed and cannot be socially accepted. As a result, the juvenile begins to engage in learned delinquent and negative behaviors. “August Aichhorn (1936) drew on the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud and suggested that juvenile delinquents had difficulty conforming to parental and societal expectations because they had not developed a healthy “juvenile justice” superego. (p. 37). “Fritz Redl and David Wineman (1951) also argued that juvenile delinquents had inadequate superegos, such that they tended to follow the impulses and drives of the id” Juvenile Justice, (p. 38). In fact, “criminologists traditionally view the causes of delinquency and criminal behavior not as biogenetic or psychological in nature, but as a social problem” in juvenile justice (p. 46). This statement seems logical because in the case of 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, accused of the Santa Fe High School shooting on May 18, 2018. One of the witnesses of his classmate, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, displayed concerned behavior. "Bryton Sumbles, a former football player at the school, told ABC News that he reported Pagourtzis to teachers in the past because he thought it was strange that he wore trench coats in bad weather. 97 degrees, and he thought it would be easy to carry a gun under the coat Nothing seemed to come out of the report, Sumbles said” (ABC News). “On Facebook, Pagourtzis presents himself as an atheist under the religious opinions section and wrote “I hate politics” under the political opinions section. On April 30, he posted a photo of a T-shirt with the words. “Born to Kill” (ABC News). Most importantly, parents are the primary foundation for teaching standard social behaviors The influence a parent can have on a child and the affect can be positive or negative. . They may witness or have a random experience in the social world. A child can experience thesefactors daily. As the child grows older, this can have significant consequences on his or her youthful lifestyle. My parents said that my grandparents were very strict and couldn't do many activities or communicate with certain people. Nowadays, minors can communicate through video games and do not need to leave the house. In Dimitrios' case, he spends a lot of time expressing his feelings on Facebook. I believe his parents didn't know or monitor him on social media. The South China Moring Post reports that Antonio Pagourtzis, Dimitrios' father, said "his son suspected he was under pressure, perhaps because of intimidation." He then explained that his son was not violent, intelligent, calm and kept to himself. However, Governor Greg Abbott said that "Dimitrios Pagourtzis wrote about planning the attack in newspapers, on his computer and in his cell phone that police obtained" (Boston news). Another theory is control theory, “delinquency is more likely among youth who lack social connections and positive social interactions between parents and peers” juvenile justice (p. 51). In the case of Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the Santa Fe High School mass shooter, no one in this small Texas town expected a mass shooting to occur at their school. Santa Fe High School has approximately 1,500 students in grades 9-12. The school is located just north of Tx Highway 6. (School District Reference Map (2010 Census): Galveston County, Texas. US Census Bureau). Before the school massacre, Santa Fe High School made local news because during sporting events, the football team would pray together before the football game started. Someone challenged this practice and wanted prayer before the matches stopped. The team decided to continue praying before the start of the competition. So the team filed a lawsuit in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. (Santa Fe Independent School Dist. V. Doe, 530 US 290). It's a safe bet that the people of this community would never have thought that something like this could happen in their community high school. The students had no idea such a tragedy was imminent, and probably for good reason. Even if Dimitrios Pagourtzis displayed some characteristics of delinquent behavior when he posted “born to kill” on his Facebook page, it can be argued that this alone does not constitute an indicator. that he would act in such a dangerous manner. We have become such a desensitized society with the advent of social media. What we see today on various social sites, a few decades ago, programmers would never have shown on television. I actually found a seller selling a T-shirt in my email. The T-shirt logo was intended for those who love the military. He said: “Born to train, trained to kill.” While searching Amazon, I found many shirts with “Born to Kill” on them. In fact, this was all in reference to the film. The mystery of why he did this will probably only be discovered after an examination of his life. Until then, this is just speculation. The good news is that he is still alive; and a trial is expected to begin in 2020. In the meantime, speculation will continue. One of the mothers of the shooting victims said Dimitrios made advances toward her daughter before the shooting. However, she refused to have anything to do with him. The student indicated that he once dated his best friend (US Politics). CNN reported that "Pagourtzis useda shotgun and a .38 revolver to shoot and kill 8 students and 2 teachers. He injured 13 others. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office reported that Pagourtzis said he was targeting certain victims and "did not want to harm students with whom he had no hard feelings" (CNN). Although Pagourtzis spoke of targeting certain students, he contradicted that assertion with what he did in his preparation before the shooting. The Harris County Sheriff's Office reported "they found a modified pressure cooker simulating a bomb, and a Molotov cocktail found near the school." », (HCSO). Both of these objects are believed to have been placed in these locations by Dimitrios Pagourtzis. Maybe Dimitrios lacked interpersonal skills. Maybe he didn't feel comfortable around others. It is possible that he engaged in narcissistic behavior. Juvenile delinquency is the result of so many social, emotional and learned behaviors that if they are not positive in nature, they can be lessons in crime. Do his parents have any vicarious liability for what he did? In May 2018, ABC 13 News reported that many of the victim's parents were filing civil lawsuits against Dimitrios Pagourtzis' parents. The parents of Aaron McLeod and Chris Stone are just two of many who believe Dimitrios' parents are vicariously liable for failing to stop their son from committing the mass shooting in Santa Fe. Interestingly, for many parents, it is normal to allow their high school student to supervise themselves. However, what some may not understand is that they are ultimately responsible for their children until they turn 18. (Texas Family Code, Section 41.001.) Many people are emotionally affected when something like this happens in our society. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted: "I am not ashamed to admit that I have shed tears of sadness, pain and anger." His anguish and disappointment can be heard all the way to the White House. Donald Trump said: “This has gone on in our country for too long. Too many years. It’s been too many decades now.” (CNN.com) Additionally, in my opinion, the failure of our elected officials to work together to pass meaningful legislation to combat gun violence only exacerbates the problem in our society. In schools, we must educate, intervene, and prevent our campuses from being unsafe for our children. We cannot simplify the solution by suggesting that teachers carrying guns in the classroom is enough to address the threat. Some may not be receiving enough training, which could put our children at higher risk of being accidentally shot by a teacher. The impact of gun violence has touched our entire nation. Individuals who should not have had access to guns but do only increase a person's risk of being a victim of gun violence. In fact, “58% of American adults or the people they care for have been victims of gun violence in their lifetime” (every city search). So far, statistical data on gun violence appears to show "337 mass shootings, 2,869 teens killed or injured between the ages of 12 and 17 statewide" (Gun Violence Archive, (2018). Article 9 of the Constitution states that each of us has the right to live and not be killed by another individual. We need better security measures to prevent gun violence, especially in schools across our country. Texas Governor Greg Abbot has taken steps to create more safety in schools...