School Shootings and Their Ripple Effects: A Superintendent's Struggle to Protect and Reassure Amid Rising Gun Violence

According to Zachary Schermele of USATODAY, on September 5, Michael Bennett, the superintendent of Greenville Central School District in upstate New York, greeted students at Scott M. Ellis Elementary School with fist bumps and a reassuring smile. It was the first day of school, but Bennett’s presence on campus held a deeper purpose than the typical welcome-back routine. Just a day before, a horrific school shooting had taken place a thousand miles away in suburban Georgia, leaving a nation once again grappling with the scourge of gun violence.

The Georgia tragedy, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers, also left nine others—mostly students—injured. The suspected shooter, a 14-year-old, was swiftly apprehended and now faces four counts of murder. The news reverberated through communities across the country, including Greenville, where Bennett found himself reflecting on a harrowing moment from his own past.

In February 2004, Bennett, then a social studies teacher in another small New York town, was preparing for class when a student aimed a shotgun directly at him. The assistant principal managed to knock the weapon downward just as the trigger was pulled, and Bennett was shot in the leg. Thankfully, no one else was injured. “I still remember the fear, the uncertainty,” Bennett said. “It changes how you think about safety in schools forever.”

Now, two decades later, Bennett, like many school superintendents across the country, is once again confronting the far-reaching consequences of gun violence, even though his district lies hundreds of miles from the latest incident. The ripple effects were immediate. Schools near and far from the Georgia shooting saw a rise in threats, prompting districts to take emergency actions. Nearby schools canceled classes, ramped up security measures, and in some cases, shut down completely after receiving threatening phone calls and messages.

For Bennett, the anxiety is compounded by the fact that these events are no longer rare. Everytown for Gun Safety, a leading advocate for gun violence prevention, recorded 139 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the U.S. by September 4, just days before the Georgia shooting. The grim reality is that even when the violence occurs far from home, schools nationwide are not immune from its impact. "You could be miles away, but the fear spreads just as quickly," Bennett said.

In the days following the Georgia shooting, schools across the country were flooded with threats, many shared and amplified through social media platforms. Assessing the credibility of these threats has become an increasingly difficult task for school leaders like Bennett, who must ensure student safety while minimizing panic. “You can’t just ignore these threats, even if they seem like pranks. We have to take them seriously, every time,” he noted.

This heightened vigilance has become part of the daily reality for educators. Instead of focusing solely on student achievement and classroom engagement, administrators now juggle crisis management, security protocol updates, and reassuring terrified parents. A nearby district even went as far as canceling all after-school activities after receiving a particularly unsettling threat.

Bennett’s reflections are shared by many of his peers, including Aaron Spence, the superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. Just a week after the Georgia incident, Spence found himself contending with a wave of copycat threats in his district. Though none were credible, the fear they sparked among parents and students was very real. “Even when the threats turn out to be hoaxes, the emotional toll is significant,” Spence said, emphasizing the importance of clear communication in such situations.

The rise of social media has only worsened the problem. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fertile ground for threats to spread rapidly, often with little regard for the real-world consequences. In recent weeks, students in several states have been arrested for posting violent threats online, further illustrating the daunting challenge school districts face.

Michele Gay, whose daughter was among the 26 people killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, has become an advocate for school safety. She believes that clear, transparent communication is key to alleviating the anxiety that follows these tragic events. “After something like this happens, we need to hear from our leaders,” Gay said. “Avoiding the conversation just increases fear and uncertainty.”

Despite the mounting challenges, Bennett remains resolute in his commitment to his students. He acknowledges the difficulties but stresses that education must continue, even in the shadow of potential violence. “It’s tough to learn when you’re worried about the threats,” Bennett said. “And it’s tough to teach.” Yet he, like many other educators, continues to show up, determined to create a safe space for learning in a world where gun violence is all too common.

As schools across the nation grapple with the aftermath of yet another tragedy, one message is clear: the ripple effects of gun violence extend far beyond the communities where the bullets fly. For Bennett, and for countless other educators, the mission to protect, reassure, and educate grows ever more complex.