Victims of gun violence are not dry statistics. Gun violence victims are human beings with families

Echo opinion published in The Columbus Dispatch, an Ohio newspaper:

Opinion:  Every victim of gun violence was somebody’s son or daughter. 

Safety starts in home:  "Every victim of gun violence was somebody’s son or daughter, and it’s time that we each do our part in shaping a safer community for the next generation," Amber Estis

Amber Estis is the founding principal of The Shepard School by Eagle Community Schools of Ohio and served as an educator for over 17 years.

Two months after welcoming my son into the world, I often find myself picturing the life-altering milestones that lie before him.

I slip into daydreams about his first steps, graduations, and other happy moments that will define his childhood and my journey as a new mom. Like so many other Black parents though, I know that I must prepare him for the unique dangers that lie ahead, particularly those posed by gun violence.

Today, Black children in America are 13 times more likely than white kids to be hospitalized from firearm-related injuries. So, as a school principal responsible for the safety of 105 children – including 104 young Black scholars – gun safety is naturally at the top of my list of concerns.

This priority has been reinforced by recent gun-related incidents in several local schools that have convinced both Columbus-area parents, educators, and lawmakers alike to take another look at how best to keep our children safe.

Let's encourage lawmakers to lay the the groundwork for responsible, de-escalatory solutions to gun violence.

I have come to realize that the fight doesn’t stop at the schoolhouse, or even the statehouse — the latest battle in the fight against gun violence is under our own roofs. It is painful enough that we lose around 1,300 kids to gun violence every year.

But, few know that nearly 12% of these fatalities are a result of an accidental shooting. Further, these horrific events often take place at the home of a friend or loved one — with 40% of these accidents involving children aged 11 to 14 happening at a peer’s home and a relative or guardian’s weapon.

We handed out gun locks to parents and asked our students to sign a pledge in classrooms, with learning stations corresponding to each part of the 5-part oath. 

Columbus Division of Police officers also instructed our scholars on how best to communicate with 9-1-1 operators in the event of an accident to ensure mistakes do not turn fatal.

Instilling these potentially life-saving lessons in a secure location is critical to making progress on this issue, and we were proud to have received enough positive feedback from participants to plan on hosting the event again next year.

While making tangible progress on this national issue often seems overwhelming, it is critical that leaders in the classroom, out in the community, and within the halls of government take readily available, concrete steps to help us move forward.

Environments that emphasize safety, awareness, and caution regarding firearms, like the one my staff and I have worked tirelessly to foster on our campus, better prepare our children for the often-violent world in which we live.

Every victim of gun violence was somebody’s son or daughter, and it’s time that we each do our part in shaping a safer community for the next generation.

Amber Estis is the founding principal of The Shepard School by Eagle Community Schools of Ohio and has served as an educator for over 17 years. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in human development and family science from The Ohio State University and a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Concordia University.