學生們手捧蠟燭、低頭默禱，痛苦悲傷的氣氛瀰漫了整個校園；這裡是美國喬治亞州的阿巴拉契中學，開學不過幾週，卻因突如其來的槍擊案陷入悲劇。
阿巴拉契中學學生15-YEAR-OLD APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT Guray Chapman：「I was walking back to class and I heard gunshots and banging on a locker in the hallway, and I was banging on my classroom door and luckily my teacher was right there, about to turn off the light and let me in. And I ran in and isolated with the other students. And it was just very scary how we just, I didn’t really think it was happening. I thought it was just like a procedure.」
（我正走回教室就聽到槍響和走廊上撞擊置物櫃的聲音，我拼命敲打教室的門，還好我的老師就在那邊正準備關燈就讓我進去，我跑進去與其他學生一起躲在裡面；當時非常恐怖！我真的不敢相信這是真的！我還以為是演練。）
9月4日，陣陣槍響打破校園的寧靜，一名十四歲青少年持槍進入校園，肆意掃射造成4死9傷；而這也是美國自1996年以來，發生的首起大型高中校園槍擊案件。
喬治亞州調查局局長 DIRECTOR OF THE GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Chris Hosey：「He is a 14-year-old student here at the high school. Again, he has been taken into custody. He will be charged with murder and he will be tried as an adult and handled as an adult.」
（他（犯嫌）是該校14歲的學生，再次聲明他已被拘捕、將被指控謀殺罪，並且會以成人的身分接受審判和處理。）
這名少年犯Colt Gray，早在去年便因在網路上威脅要進行校園槍擊而被當地執法部門訊問；然而，僅僅14歲的Colt怎麼會擁有槍械？Colt面臨4項重罪謀殺罪，而他的父親Colin Gray則以槍擊事件關係人被拘捕。
喬治亞州調查局局長 DIRECTOR OF THE GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Chris Hosey：「He (Colin Gray) is charged with the following：Four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. These charges stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son, Colt, to possess a weapon.」
（他(Colin Gray)面臨以下指控：4項過失殺人罪、2項二級謀殺罪以及8項虐待兒童罪；這些指控是基於Gray先生明知故犯，允許他的兒子Colt持有武器。）
巴羅縣高等法院法官Barrow County Superior Court Judge Currie Mingledorff II：「Except for the fact that, you are under 18 years old. So I wanted to inform you and make it clear to you that the penalty for the crimes for which you are charged does not include death. It includes, life without the possibility of parole or life with the possibility of parole.」
（由於你未滿18歲，因此我必須清楚明白的告訴你你被指控的罪行刑罰不包括死刑，但可能是無期徒刑不得假釋或是得假釋的無期徒刑。）
雖然未滿18歲的Colt無需面臨死刑，但很可能將在監獄度過一生，而美國校園的心理健康醫療和保護是否能杜絕類似事件再次發生，也引起了民眾的擔憂；槍擊案發生後，部分學生及家長憤怒指責校園安全不再。
喬治亞葛尼特學院抗議學生 DEMONSTRATOR, 18, STUDENT AT GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE Gretchen Gierlach：「I think I feel like these words need to be said. I feel like I’m saying them to the United States. America has failed our children. America has failed our educators and our school systems. Gun violence is a serious, serious issue in America. Sadly, this county has become another statistic.」
（有些話我必須說出口，必須告訴全美國人民：美國辜負了我們的孩子、辜負了我們的教育者和教育系統，槍枝暴力在美國是非常嚴重的問題，難過的是這起案件只成為一項數據而已。）
巴羅縣警長 BARROW COUNTY SHERIFF, Jud Smith：「I was born and raised here. I went to school in the school system. My kids go to the school system. I’m proud of this school system. My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community. But I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county. I want that to be very clear and known. Love will prevail over what happened today. I assure you of that.」
（我在這裡（喬治亞州）出生、成長，我曾在這座校園讀書、我的孩子們也是，我以這所學校為榮；對於這些孩子、對於我們的社區我感到痛心疾首，但我必須鄭重表示，仇恨在這個地方不會佔上風，我希望這點大家能夠清楚明白，而愛終將戰勝一切，我向你們保證！）
隨著校園槍枝氾濫議題再次升溫，將於11月迎來總統選舉的美國社會，再次關注槍械管制和安全問題。
阿巴拉契中學槍擊案件揭露了當前美國校園環境持槍普遍的現象，師生對暴力日益增加的恐懼，更凸顯現有法律和校園安全措施的不足；而隨著槍枝管制議題的發酵，幾個關鍵搖擺州的選情及當地選民對槍枝暴力的看法也可能出現變化，成為11月大選的重要變數。
責任編輯：林懷恩
