Two teachers and two students were killed in Apalachee High School by a 14-year-old student, who is in custody.

Winder, Georgia is a pleasant town between Atlanta and Athens, known for its parks and wildlife. But on the morning Wednesday, Sept. 4, it became known for something else. Shots rang out at Apalachee High School, killing at least four people, CNN reported. Approximately 30 more people were injured, although it was unclear how many of the injuries were gunshot wounds. The story is still developing.

What has not developed is our nation's success in reducing the number of school shootings. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Firearm injuries and deaths continue to be a significant public health problem in the United States."

One demographic group with an especially high rate was, CDC reported, teens and young adults ages 15-34.

In recent memory, the following school shootings have dominated he headlines: Columbine, Ohio in 1999, Sandy Hook in Connecticut in 2012, Parkland School in Florida in 2018, and more. The Washington Post reported that "there have been 417 school shootings since 1999."

It is depressing to reduce human lives to a statistic. Unfortunately, negative feelings are dominant when it comes to schools and violence. Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Violence Prevention stated, "Families relocate from the towns or neighborhoods in which the shooting occurred and grief pervades the ethos of all connected. We often focus on the number of deaths and injuries of mass shootings in schools, but we should pay equal or more attention to the psychological casualties, which far exceed the physical ones."

Reporters are still learning more about the circumstances of the Winder, Georgia shooting. One thing is clear: it was unneccesary and tragic.

Other industrialized nations have less of a problem with mass shootings. According to NPR, the rate of violence from gun deaths in the U.S. is "more than seven times as high as the rate in Canada (...) and about 340 times higher than in the United Kingdom (...)."

Today is a day to extend our thoughts and prayers to those families affected by the Winder, Georgia school shooting.

Tomorrow, as many children across the nation return to class, let us adults do our job: support stricter gun control legislation.