By Faith Nguyen, Copy Editor
The shooting lasted 16 seconds; the alleged weapon was a .45 caliber semi-automatic gun, given to Berhow for his 16th birthday. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, after the first shot was fired, three police officers who were on campus dropping off their kids saw students fleeing campus, and immediately went inside to help. Students remained on lockdown until 11 A.M..
Saugus students resumed school on Monday, Dec. 2. The campus was decorated with blue ribbons and “Saugus Strong” posters. Therapy dogs were stationed around the quad where the shooting took place in order to destigmatize the area.
“As we are continuing on these next upcoming weeks, it’s going to be really difficult — really difficult — for us,” Andrei Mojica, 17, said to the LA Times. “But I know that through this sense of community, once more we will be OK.”
The Saugus shooting has sparked discussions about gun violence in many schools. Shortly after the ordeal, Kennedy English teacher Melissa Soeltz held an open class conversation regarding the topic.
“As a student, as a child, nobody should be afraid to go to school,” Soeltz said. “No one should have to practice active shooter drills in kindergarten.”
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