School shootings and Justice

When I saw the commotion in the community due to the 35th shooting in the nation, which happened at the Apalachee school in Winder GA, a community very close to my heart where I have very dear friends.  I was reading about the death of Daniela Trejo, as part of my work documenting the life of the migrant community in the USA,

I couldn't help but wonder how justice is administered in the United States? What role does skin color, class, immigration status play? Why did the official discourse only offer prayers in the Apalachee mass shooting and when Laken Riley died, praying seemed insufficient?

Daniela Trejo was a young woman who had just turned 17 and lived in the state of North Carolina. She was run over by Joshua Thomas, who left the scene of the crime because, according to him, he had run over an animal.

Two days later, the police announced that they were not going to press charges against Joshua, who had not gone to jail, even though he fled the scene of the crime. It is rumored that Joshua’s father works for the state police, the same police that is in charge of the investigation.

Daniela Trejo's family, who was overwhelmed by the loss of their kid, took to the streets and raised their voices against the injustice. Days later, the prosecutor filed charges against Joshua Thomas, although none of those charges were for the death of Daniela. Perhaps that is why the family continues to seek justice despite the pain of Daniela's death, despite that they have less support from the community. Last time I checked, Daniela’s family was alone, outside of the court house, chanting justice for Daniela.

Regarding the shooting at the Apalachee school, the governor of Georgia raised his prayers for the victims of the attack. However, the Georgia government and its representatives acted in a totally different way when Laken Riley was murdered by an undocumented immigrant.

The murder of Laken Riley shocked us all in Athens. The state representatives pushed an anti-immigrant narrative, they were rallying, chanting the victim's name, and ultimately passing anti-immigrant legislation, HB1105.

However, after the Apalachee school shooting, those same leaders are only offering prayers, unable to engage in a conversation about violence and the death of young people in schools by guns.

None of them were shouting the names of the victims, and they didn't seem to care about the lives of young people in schools. Kids, teachers and family members are ignored by their powerful leaders.

The terror was not only experienced in Winder. In several parts of the state of GA, communities faced threats of school shooting. The shock was throughout the country. Many mothers are afraid that their children will no longer return home from school.

Justice is definitely served differently for our communities, however the community can help make sure that justice is done.

In the case of Laken Riley and Daniela Trejo, it is clear that justice is possible if the community mobilizes. But be careful, because if the politicians are the ones mobilizing, they may make laws that do not solve the problem.

In the case of Georgia’s bill HB1105, this legislation was created because of the death of Laken Raley, but in reality cracked down on migrant families, because it was created to attack the migrant community for political reasons and did nothing to eradicate violence against women. Every year, 25% of women at the University of Georgia are victims of violence and this legislation does nothing to protect them.

I’m reviewing this blog for publication, while in Madison Wisconsin a teenager committed another school shooting killing another teenager and a teacher.   

Deep in my heart I hope that violence is not ignored. I hope that the unnecessary death of young people in schools is not normalized, just because of the right of bare arms. I also hope that people in power rectify and use their power efficiently, not to advance their political careers, not to punish our communities, but to provide real solutions to the problems of extreme violence that we face in the country.