"MOM, PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL IS CLOSED BECAUSE THERE’S A GUNMAN ON THE LOOSE”

My daughter Alex called two days ago and I knew from her voice that something was very wrong. 

“Mom, all the schools in Portsmouth are closed today because there’s a credible threat of a shooter at the high school,” she said. Apparently, a 25-year-old male had posted a video of himself on social media, holding a rifle while sitting in a vehicle outside PHS. In the video he declared, “Imma gonna shoot up the school.”

Enough!

Since 1999, when two gunmen murdered 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado, there have been 377 school shootings. Since 2000 there have been close to 50 fatal shootings in churches. And since 2020 — just three years ago —  there have been 500 shootings in supermarkets across the country. Do you remember when schools, churches and supermarkets were the safest places on earth?

According to “Gun Violence Archive,” there were at least 146 mass shootings in the United States so far this year — more mass shootings than ACTUAL DAYS in 2023. Horrendously, there were 15 mass shootings during the first 10 days of April.

It’s no surprise that certain locations across the country are etched in our minds and hearts — Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Virginia Tech when 32 students were massacred, a one room Amish school house in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania where 10 little girls were shot; five died and five were injured. 

Simply the mention of Buffalo, Louisville, Nashville, Santa Fe, Uvalde, Birmingham and Charlottesville, along with countless other cities, sparks tragic images of sidewalks piled high with flowers in honor of the young slain.

When is it going to stop?

Two days ago, Portsmouth was under possible siege and potential heartbreaking tragedy. Portsmouth is 25 minutes from my home in the Wells woods. I go there frequently because my daughter, her husband and their two wonderful kids live there. My grandchildren attend school there.

At 10:33 PM on Wednesday night, Portsmouth’s Superintendent of School emailed teachers, families, students and staff: “I apologize for the late timing of my call but I have an important message that I felt could not wait until the morning. This evening the Portsmouth Police Department notified me of a threat to commit a school shooting at Portsmouth High. …. Out of an abundance of caution and a commitment to the safety of our school community, all Portsmouth Schools will be closed tomorrow.”

The guilty sonuvabitch (pardon my Greek but I cannot call him anything else) was nabbed on Friday in Portland, Maine. He apparently has a “history of incidents” with local law enforcement but was believed to be the only person involved with the situation in Portsmouth. Even though he did not actually shoot or kill anyone, I sincerely hope they lock him up and throw away the key.

This weekend, the NRA is holding its annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Noted speakers will blather on and on about Second Amendment rights and receive fervent ovations and cheers as they stand on a stage festooned with American flags.

I wonder if any of them have ever received a text or call that a shooter with an AK-47 was loose in their child’s school?  And if they did, how would they react? Portsmouth was lucky. They got the guy. But that doesn’t change anything.

Isn’t it time to do SOMETHING?