I am a survivor of a mass shooting that took place at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, LA Fitness on August 4, 2009. My mom dropped me off while she went shopping next door. Ten minutes into a dance class taking place downstairs, a man walked into the room, shut the lights off and started firing. I was stuck upstairs on cardio equipment while being able to see the gym emptying below us, people screaming, hearing gunshots that felt never ending, all while panicking about being trapped upstairs, fearing the perpetrator was going to come upstairs.
Fifteen years later, and it is still something that sticks with me. It is a weight that is involuntarily forced upon the life of any survivor of a mass shooting. It breaks my heart when I hear news of yet another mass shooting in this country. Not only are there the victims that have lost their lives, but there are the survivors of the event as well as their loved ones that are left impacted. It is a ripple effect; an event that terrorizes people, and leaves so many people with lingering trauma.
Fortunately, there is a community like Everytown out there with resources for survivors of all types of gun violence. Everytown also works towards passing Gun Sense policy reform in this country. It is an organization I am inspired by and also thankful for existing. Awareness is key, and I make it a point to call attention to this organization every chance I get.