A few weeks ago, I received an email from my son’s high school principal that momentarily took my breath away: “Everything is all right at Godwin, and students are in their common study classes. At approximately 12:35 today during the exchange between the first and second lunches, a student yelled ‘school shooter’ in one of our hallways, which was not true.”
I imagined what it would have felt like for those kids in that moment, the panic and horror of knowing all too well what comes after the cry of “school shooter”: Sandy Hook. Parkland. Columbine. Virginia Tech.
Thankfully, it was a false alarm (and an extremely ill-conceived “prank”), but in 2020, every American student and their parents live in fear that one day such a scenario will unfold inside the walls of their own school — or a shopping mall, local park or workplace. Guns and gun violence are inescapable, and this year, Richmond magazine will examine the impact guns have on our lives.
Our series kicks off as we delve into what the gun debate may look like in the General Assembly when Democrats take control of both chambers for the first time in more than two decades. We talk to activists on both sides, finding out what motivates advocates for gun control and supporters of Second Amendment rights. We also look at a timeline of gun legislation in Virginia and talk to the family of 9-year-old Markiya Dickson, who was fatally shot during a Memorial Day weekend celebration in Carter Jones Park on May 26 — just a few days before the Virginia Beach mass shooting that killed 12 people at the Municipal Center. Markiya’s family is determined that their daughter will be remembered for more than her untimely death, and they’ve started an organization to address the social issues that often lead to deadly gun violence.
“The goal is to change one person, and then they can go out and pay it forward and help change the next person,” says Ciara Dickson, Markiya’s mother.
This issue also looks at the explosive growth of New Kent County, the second-fastest-growing locality in Virginia, which is experiencing a huge increase in tax revenue thanks to the revival of horse racing at Colonial Downs and machines allowing wagering on historical horse races at sites throughout Virginia.
And a January issue wouldn’t be complete without a fitness feature. We introduce our readers to seven Richmonders who have gotten fit through doing an activity they love. I was so inspired by 81-year-old half-marathon runner George Hastings that I ordered a new pair of running shoes and have been slowly returning to the sport after an 18-month hiatus. “If I can do it at my age, you can do it, too,” Hastings advises. According to him, I’ve got a good 30-plus years in me yet and many more miles to run.
