In a poignant ceremony on Wednesday, the surviving students of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, one of the most devastating school massacres in American history, graduated from Newton High School.
The Class of 2024, however, was marked by the absence of 20 of their peers, who were tragically killed in the 2012 shooting. As reported by the Daily Mail, the graduating class included approximately 60 students who were present at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on that fateful day.
On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza unleashed a horrifying attack on the school, killing 20 children aged between six and seven, as well as six staff members. This incident stands as the second deadliest school shooting and the fourth worst mass shooting in US history. The joy and celebration typically associated with high school graduations were tinged with sadness as the students remembered their lost classmates.
Six former Sandy Hook students, Matt Holden, Emma Ehrens, Henry Terifay, Lily Wasilnak, Ella Seaver, and Grace Fisher, shared their mixed emotions over this significant milestone. They spoke of the anticipation of their school prom and dinner dance, but also the somber remembrance of the shooting. Lily Wasilnak told NBC News, "You wait for this day for your whole life since you're in kindergarten. You just can't wait to graduate...but I think we can't forget about [the fact] there is a whole chunk of our class missing."
During the graduation ceremony, a moving tribute was paid to the late students, their names read aloud, symbolizing that they too should have been receiving their diplomas. Principal Kimberly Longobucco said, "We remember your 20 classmates who were tragically lost on Dec. 14, 2012, who will not walk across the stage tonight. We remember them for their bravery, their kindness, and their spirit. Let us strive to honor them today and every day."
The graduating class of 335 students wore green ribbons on their gowns, bearing the words "Forever in our hearts." The lives of these Sandy Hook survivors have been irrevocably marked by one of America's deadliest shootings. Grace Fisher shared her chilling memory of being read a story by her teacher before Lanza opened fire on the school. She recalled the school principal telling the children to hide before they heard a 'popping sound'.
Emma Ehrens, in an interview with NBC News, recounted the terrifying moment Lanza burst into her classroom. "I had to watch all my friends and teachers get killed and I had to run for my life at six years old," she said, adding that she has had to grow up with 'the fear and the what-ifs of what could have happened if I stayed. Because I was going to be next'.
The students expressed their frustration over the lack of change since the Sandy Hook shooting, and the recurring narrative of school shootings across America. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, more than 1,600 school shootings have been recorded nationwide since 2012. "I really thought Sandy Hook would, you know, shock people and wake everybody up," Henry Terifay told ABC's GMA. "But it just keeps happening over and over and over again."
The students' concerns extend beyond their own experiences, with Lilly Wasilnak expressing her fears for her future children. "As unfortunate as it is, it's going to happen to someone else, and it's going to keep happening to someone else until people like us have to make the change," she said. "We worry about one day when we'll have kids, and I don't want to send my kids to school in the way our world is."
The Sandy Hook survivors' graduation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for change in America's approach to school safety and gun control. Their experiences and voices underscore the importance of addressing this issue, not just for their generation, but for those to come.
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