School shooting at Erie High

Bella Lee, Staff writer

2022 has without a doubt been a difficult year for everyone. Celebrity deaths, the continuation of the COVID pandemic, international war, the list goes on. However, there was a very difficult situation that hit very close to home for the Mercyhurst community.  

On April 5, the Erie community was shaken to the core when it was reported that a shooting occurred at nearby Erie High School.  

The shooting, which took place at 9:20 in the morning, injured one student, who is in stable condition. An unnamed student, who was identified as a suspect, turned themselves in the next day. 

Following the news breaking of the school shooting, police responded on location and the school was placed on lockdown, during which the police swept the school and made sure it was clear of any further dangers. The students were then dismissed to be picked up by their parents or take buses home.  

Erie High remained out of session for the rest of the week, and they will be off next week for Spring Break.  

The school and the school district are currently working on a comprehensive plan to allow students to return safely. Counseling and other professional services have been made available for students and their families.  

“We are devastated and angered by this senseless tragedy, and we are all hoping for the full and speedy recovery of the student involved,” superintendent Brian Polito said.  

“I want to thank district and city police for their very prompt and thorough response.”  

“The shooting at Erie High School this morning is very saddening,” said Joe Schember, the mayor of Erie.  

“Schools should be safe places where children learn and grow. I am receiving great updates from Superintendent Brian Polito and Police Chief Dan Spizarny. I know this is difficult for parents to hear. But remember: all students are now safe!  We must all stay away from the area until Erie’s Public Schools announces a dismissal process. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, teachers, administrators, and all the Police Officers who have secured the building. What they all need right now is our love and support.” 

This marks the 22nd school shooting in 2022. This adds up to 114 school shootings since 2018, with 24 each in 2018 and 2019, 10 in 2020 and 34 in 2021.  

Out of these, 32 people have been injured and six have been killed. The most recent death was that of a 12-year-old student at Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville, South Carolina on March 31, the most recent school shooting before Erie High.  

With an incident such as this hitting so close to home, the community is left wondering if such an event could happen again. No one perished, but this leaves everyone reeling and cherishing time with their loved ones.  

We must all remain as safe as possible and work together to prevent this from happening again.