Two Minutes Too Long: A Call for Healing, Not Motives

 Two minutes. Two minutes of fear, two minutes of pain, two minutes of life. That’s what Phoenix Ikner held in just one to two minutes of shooting. In two minutes he shot eight people-two dead, six injured. In two minutes he left more than thirty-three thousand students and faculty scared and wounded, and mourning their loss. Colleges have always been a pathway to learn and let students find their path to learn and discover. Four years of learning and fun were shattered in just two minutes. Although Ikner’s motives are unknown, the fact that he carried two handguns, stopped taking any of his prescription drugs, and defended war crimes displays that he intended to kill more than two people. His motives don’t matter though. Either way, he still scarred many students and gave them something they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.

The first shot was fired at 11:57 am. Ikner was seen storming in and out of collegiate buildings, firing into classrooms. By 11:58, the school issued the lockdown to take shelter in place. Chairs are thrown and shoved against doors to keep one more desperate barrier between the gunman and the people. Pictures and videos of students with phones in dark rooms with desks shoved into the door texting their loved ones goodbye flood the news sites. Gunshots rang for two minutes straight hoping no one is killed. One hundred and twenty seconds later, there is no more immediate threat and they need to be evacuated. Students fled in clumps holding their hands up as echoed sirens of first responders wailing down the streets pushing white stretchers streaked in blood pushing though crowds of terrified faces. 

Now, just five days later, this story is already overlooked. The aftermath of school shootings is often disregarded although it’s an extremely traumatic moment students are confronted with. There is no information released regarding the timeline for Ikner's trial and legal journey other than the fact that he was charged with first-degree murder and he chose to use his rights to remain silent. Resent news articles focus on his motives and his stepmother's influence, although those details aren’t what matters most. His actions cannot be reversed or ignored. His motives don’t erase what happened and what he affected at the collegiate level. Students were expected to go back to class on Monday the twenty-first, but after protesting, the principal waved attendance requirements for the remainder of the school year to allow students to participate on their own time. This new policy allows students to go somewhere where they feel safe, as most of them live on campus. Professors are encouraged to post Zoom meetings or alternate lessons to their in-person classes. This is how schools should respond to trauma—not by searching for motives, but by offering real support and solutions to help students heal. We should not be trying to find a motive but a solution to these tragic circumstances.

  - Olivia Eichberg