When Payton Gendron’s teacher asked his post-graduation plans, he reportedly responded, “murder-suicide.” He received a basic mental health evaluation, and was released.
One year later he’d become “The Buffalo Shooter.”
Had Gendron been Black, he probably would’ve been arrested immediately. We’ve seen Black children killed for less.
Black children are overpoliced, while children like Gendron are given the benefit of the doubt.
To be clear, children shouldn’t be immediately arrested for off-hand comments. Schools need less policing and more counselors!
Most American schools have 1 counselor per 464 students, and roughly 8 million children don’t receive counseling support at all.
Prior to the shooting, Gendron reportedly stabbed a cat to death. Animal cruelty is frequently linked to later violence against humans. What other signals of Gendron’s did professionals miss?
What if there had been a capable mental health counselor at Gendron’s school to discuss his feelings with him? If we had a health care system interested in healing and transforming anger and frustration before it turned into violence?
White supremacy is taught and if not corrected, creates monsters. Any child claiming “murder-suicide” as post-graduation plans – and then carrying it out – is proof our system has failed.
Our system is so interested in policing and punishing Black youth who aren’t a threat that it misses opportunities to respond to actual threats like Gendron.