TW: murder, school shootings, guns

On November 30th, 2021, an unspeakable tragedy hit our nation once more. Within the grips of Coronavirus, global famine, and rising oceans, our children are under attack. The perpetrator of this vicious act, who will be referred to as the criminal throughout this article to deprive him of the attention he so desperately sought, was a sophomore at Oxford High School in Michigan. The criminal entered a bathroom, pulled out a semiautomatic handgun, and began shooting. At the time of writing this, he has been charged as an adult for 24 crimes and has been denied transfer to a youth facility.

Now we would like to to focus on the victims of this massacre, and celebrate their bravery and love:

Madisyn Baldwin, 17: a bright young woman who had already been accepted full-ride to colleges across the US. She had three younger siblings who she loved dearly, and loved art.

Tate Myre, 16: a promising player on the football team who excelled academically and was an honors student. Tate Myre was also a star wrestler, and a petition can be found here to rename Oxford school stadium in his honor: https://www.change.org/p/oxford-high-school

Hana St. Juliana, 14: Hana was a promising young woman who played passionately for Oxford women’s basketball. She was number 52 on the team and has been praised for her “kind heart, silly personality, and passion for the game,” according to the Oxford Basketball team’s Twitter. She made her debut on the team on Nov 29th evening.

Justin Shilling, 17: Justin was an athlete, scholar, and all-around community person. He was beloved by his community and worked 3 jobs to support his family. He was the co-captain of his bowling team and won scholarships to top universities.

All four of these victims were dearly beloved, upstanding members of their community. I can assure you that many people, myself included, have cried thinking about the tragedy their families face. What we can do to keep these four alive in our memories is to circulate their names. Do not think about the criminal when thinking about the Oxford school shooting. Do not let him live in infamy. Instead, remember those who died and who were injured. Those talented people whose lives were ruthlessly stolen from them. Madisyn Baldwin. Tate Myre. Hana St. Juliana. Justin Shilling. Repeat their names over and over, and let them live on in our memories.

Attached are resources for your help. School shooting threats are a very real, current issue at this moment, and don’t forget to send your help towards those affected by this tragedy.

• Petition for Tate Myre Stadium: https://www.change.org/p/oxford-high-school
• Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
• Bullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/
• Links for donation pages: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/oxford-high-school-shooting-how-to-help-survivors-families-of-victims