Saturday, October 25, 2014

Her Name Is Megan Silberberger. And She's No Lunch Lady!

Yesterday, there was another tragic school shooting. This time, in Marysville, Washington.

As there usually is in the first following days, the information is conflicting and sketchy as to why the student shooter did what he did.

The only thing I'm going to say about the shooter is that he was a troubled kid.

There's no other way to see it.  Apparently, the signs were there, on his now removed Facebook page and Twitter feed, but the signs went unnoticed. 

Or, if they were noticed, they weren't acted upon.

And from what I understand, if reports are correct, it was all over a girl.


There is, however, one conflicting piece of information I'd like to clear up here and now.

It's been reported that a 'lunch lady' tried to intervene in the shooting.

I have nothing specifically against 'lunch ladies', but this is incorrect and needs to be clarified.

The person who ran into that gunfire, and straight up to the shooter was a woman.

She is young.  She is petite, and she was unarmed.

And I'm sure, even given her bravery, she was scared shitless. 

But ... she acted anyway.

Her name is Megan Silberberger, and she's no Lunch Lady!

 
 Pic taken from Google images


Megan Silberberger is in fact a first year Social Studies teacher, and as far as I'm concerned, she's a hero.

From what I've read, Megan came running into the cafeteria when she heard the shots.

She went straight up to the shooter, and while he was reloading, she grabbed his arm.

This action was enough to distract the shooter, and when he shot next, he (I think accidentally) ended up shooting himself in the neck, instead of more innocent classmates.


There's no way to know what would have happened if Megan Silberberger had not approached the gunman.

I'm guessing more students would have been senselessly massacred.

But she did. And they weren't.

She is a hero.


When most people hear gunfire, they run.  They run AWAY from it, not INTO it.

Not Megan.

Whether she realized what she was doing at the time or not, she put thoughts of her own safety aside, and ran headfirst into the cafeteria filled with gunfire.

Not everyone would do that.

And you probably wouldn't expect it from a petite, unarmed woman.

But she did.

And she saved lives.


I really hope Megan receives the recognition she deserves for her heroic actions, other than being an 'UPDATE' to news articles, stating she was not in fact a lunch lady.

She deserves to be recognized for her bravery and for reacting so quickly.

Had she not approached the shooter, more young lives would have undoubtedly been lost.


Her name is Megan Silberberger, and she's no Lunch Lady!  She's a HERO!

 Pic taken from Google images

K.

P.S.  Please monitor what your kids are saying on Social Media.  The signs of troubled kids are ALWAYS there.  We just have to see them, and understand them for what they are.  Cries for help.