SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Dozens of schools were disrupted across the state Tuesday following Tuesday’s deadly school shooting in Nashville.
Springfield was one of those areas impacted, 22News heard from people in the wake of this tragedy, all of them asking the same question: when will this end?
“I think that everyone can identify that there is clearly a problem,” said Alexander Stevens of Belchertown. Another deadly shooting in the US, but this time in Nashville Tennessee, killed 3 children and 3 adults. This tragedy, becoming all too common.
“All I can think of is another one. It just keeps happening, there’s been no legislative action, and so it’s something we have to live with at this point,” said Sophie Litham, a college student in South Hadley.
And putting many on edge. “I think its hard to always feel safe when you are living in the United States, there’s never a place when you feel 100% safe, you are on guard at all times,” adds Zoey Pickett, a college student in South Hadley.
The incident also put western Massachusetts communities on high alert. Dozens of schools across the state received threats following the shooting in Nashville, including right here in Northampton.
There was a total of at least 6 confirmed hoax threats, also taking place in Springfield, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Pittsfield, and Palmer. “I would not wish to be in school I’ll tell you that much,” said Alexander Stevens of Belchertown.
This Belchertown resident says he tries to not worry about his family members who are still in school, because of Massachusetts’ gun safety laws, but he says it’s time for other states in the US to follow suit.
“I have a firearms permit, but you have to go through classes, and tests, all of this just to have it and then you have to renew it every four years. In some states you don’t even need a license, you just walk right in and you buy one,” said Alexander Stevens of Belchertown. “I think even if people are disagreeing on what the solution is…I think that everyone can identify that there is clearly a problem.”
And again, all of these threats to local schools were found to be non-credible.