School shooting threats should be taken seriously 

Most students are probably familiar with them; either through a post on Instagram or word of mouth from local gossip. There is an anonymous threat to shoot up a school; but more often than not, it is either a local high schooler who wants an excuse to ditch class or someone who thinks it would be hilarious to stir up panic in the community. But what happens if the threat is real? Regardless of whether it seems fake or not, they should be taken seriously, as countless students’ lives are on the line if it happens. 

The United States is the country with the most school shootings in the world – no other country comes close. A mass shooting could occur at any time at any school, which is why these threats should be taken seriously for safety reasons. 

Being lax with these threats could encourage people to carry out their heinous acts. Ignoring the severity of school shooting threats may result in more shooting occurrences if nobody takes them seriously. Being alert and taking initiative could prevent them from happening while simultaneously preparing yourself for the worst. 

With how easy it is to make a school-shooting threat, some may ask why every potential bluff should be taken seriously. Investigating every threat would waste valuable time that could be spent on real crimes or incidents occurring elsewhere. If students constantly took the threats seriously, it may cause unnecessary stress and anxiety, which can result in many absences. However, ignoring them entirely could be dangerous as you can never tell for certain that it is fake. Keeping the threat in mind would be ideal to stay alert for any situation. Ignoring serious threats could prove fatal, and being alert is important. Investigating all threats and punishing the instigator can deter further bluffs from occurring. More initiative to investigate these perilous omens could prevent shootings from happening. 

Every school shooting threat should be taken seriously, or at least thoroughly examined to take the required precautions in case it is the real deal. After all, it might just save a life one day.