ST. LOUIS — Since the beginning of 2018, there have been more than 18 school shootings.
On January 23, two 15-year-olds were shot and killed by another a 15-year-old student in Benton, Ky. More than a dozen more were hurt.
Wednesday, a 19-year-old opened fire on students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 and injuring 14.
The tragedies seem to happen every week. According to Everytown, a nonprofit organization which advocates for gun control and opposes gun violence, 290 school shootings have occurred in the United States since 2013. That number has not been updated since Thursday, February 8.
An effort is now underway now to empower the average person to respond with life-saving skills in the critical moments following a mass shooting. Doctors around the country have begun training those who are interested in helping to "stop the bleed."
Stop the Bleed, which began in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, was launched in 2015 by the Obama administration. With each new massacre, the mission takes on a greater urgency: teaching non-medical personnel to stop the bleeding until professionals arrive on the scene.
The campaign calls for active shooter kits to be placed where they can be accessed by the public. The kits are equipped with tourniquets, wound dressings and gloves.
The program
In the St. Louis area, there are several Stop the Bleed classes available at area hospitals throughout the metropolitan area. Those locations include Mercy and Barnes-Jewish hospitals, among others. There is no cost of admission for each session.
Wednesday morning, Mercy Hospital will be offering Bleeding Control Basics from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The class is expected to hold no more than 16 people. Those interested should call Ginna Siburt at (314) 251-6933, ext. 20881.
A Facebook event with more information is available, here.
Additionally, Edwardsville, Ill., is offering a Stop the Bleed class for Monday, February 19. It runs from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Safety Building at 333 Main Street. Those interested should call (618) 692-7540.
A Facebook event with more information is available, here.
To find a class near you, click here.
