The Aftermath: Mass Shootings in the US

Name: The Aftermath: Mass Shootings in the US
Uploaded: 2019-05-01T14:03:19Z
Duration: 26 min
Description: We explore the trauma of mass shootings in the US and how communities grapple with the reality that they could be next.

We explore the trauma of mass shootings in the US and how communities grapple with the reality that they could be next.

Mass shootings have become a grim reality of life in the United States.

There were more than 300 in 2018 alone, and each one has made this clear: they can happen anywhere and at any time – in malls, theaters, places of worship, even schools.

They have become predictable now: the shooting happens, then politicians denounce it and ask for thoughts and prayers; then there are vigils and memorials; and there is intense media coverage which eventually fades to the next story.

Meanwhile, these shootings continue to happen.

But what happens when the spotlight moves on? How do survivors and victims’ families cope in the aftermath of some of the deadliest mass shootings in the US?

In this episode of Fault Lines, we explore the long-lasting trauma of mass shootings on survivors and victims’ families. And what communities are doing to prepare for a possible attack.

Rosie Stone, a mother in Santa Fe, Texas lost her 17-year-old son Chris when a fellow classmate opened fire at his high school. Since her son's death, Rosie has not slept a night in her home, because the memories of Chris are too much to bear. [Josh Rushing/Al Jazeera] — Rosie Stone, a mother in Santa Fe, Texas lost her 17-year-old son Chris when a fellow classmate opened fire at his high school. Since her son’s death, Rosie has not slept a night in her home, because the memories of Chris are too much to bear. [Josh Rushing/Al Jazeera]

Aalayah Eastmond survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. She survived by hiding beneath a classmate who had been killed and pretending to be dead. She says she had been planning what to do in the event of an attack for a few years. She struggles with survivor's guilt but has found a way to cope through activism. [Josh Rushing/Al Jazeera] — Aalayah Eastmond survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. She survived by hiding beneath a classmate who had been killed and pretending to be dead. She says she had been planning what to do in the event of an attack for a few years. She struggles with survivor’s guilt but has found a way to cope through activism. [Josh Rushing/Al Jazeera]

A private company in Omaha, Nebraska, teaches kids as young as eight how to evade and even fight off a gunman. Lockdown drills such as “run, hide, fight” have become the new normal in US schools. [Josh Rushing/Al Jazeera]