How Racial Bias Warps the Narrative of School Shootings

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September 16, 2024

From Word in Black

The recent mass shooting in Georgia exposes the racial disparities in how Black students are perceived and criminalized in schools.

Black students in a classroom — Black students (kali9/GettyImages)

[…]

Earlier this month, tragedy struck a Georgia high school when two students and two teachers lost their in a deadly mass shooting. The shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, was arrested and has been charged as an adult.

The shooting reignited a nationwide debate on school gun violence and overall student safety. But the incident has also reawakened conversations on how race plays a role in the treatment of shooters and victims.

Shortly after law enforcement announced the shooter’s name and age, WSB-TV, a news station in Atlanta, posted an article on Twitter using a photo of Mason Schermerhorn, the 14-year-old Black victim in the shooting, with the caption, “A 14-year-old suspect, Colt Gray, was arrested.” The Daily Mail and The US Sun also made the same mistake, misidentifying the Black student killed in the attack as the alleged shooter. All posts have since been deleted, and WSB-TV released a statement online apologizing for the ‘error.’

However, Allison Wiltz, one of the journalists who first reported the story, tells Word In Black that this case of mistaken identity reeks of racial connotations.

Continue reading to see how racism can impact Black students after a school shooting.

Learn about the health impact of school shootings on children.

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