Recently graduating from college, many of my friends are considering their future careers. Some have decided to pursue the life of a teacher, but two separate situations this week have raised cause for alarm. On two different sides of the country, only one day apart, two teachers have been murdered. Teachers have difficult jobs to begin with, but the added risk to their lives seems to unfortunately be growing.
On Monday morning a horrific scene unfurled at Sparks Middle School, just outside of Reno, Nevada. A 12-year-old boy brought a gun to school and opened fire around 7:00 am. It is suspected that bullying was the cause of his actions. He first fired shots at two boys on the playground basketball court, the two victims were wounded but are now in stable condition. Upon arrival to the scene, teacher Mike Landsberry approached the boy and asked him to put the gun down. The boy then shot Landsberry and then himself, putting an end to the horrifying events. Landsberry is considered a hero for diverting the gun fire away from other children, allowing them to run for cover. Landsberry was an ex-marine who survived Afghanistan, but not the playground.
The very next day a 24-year-old teacher at a high school in Danvers, Massachusetts was reported missing. A day after Colleen Ritzer went missing, her body was found in the woods behind the school where she taught. A 14-year-old boy is now in custody, and is believed to have acted alone. Details are still being gathered in this case, but authorities have reported to have found blood in one of the second floor bathrooms of the middle school.
We live in a dangerous, unpredictable world and these two murders are heartbreaking and unnecessary. These two incidents have sparked discussions that range in topics regarding school safety. If you or a loved one is wrongfully hurt or killed while on the job, there needs to be compensation. Please contact the personal injury professionals at W.T. Johnson for your legal needs.
