The Aftermath
School was crazy
for months after the shooting. Being the class president, I had to deal with it all. Parents were pulling their kids out:
“I don’t want my child going to a school where bullying is tolerated!”, news stations and reporters were
outside constantly, the teachers were treating us all like any one of us could blow up at any second. They were paranoid that
we’d take inspiration from Rick and whip out a gun because we failed a test, or something. It was annoying. I know that
they were trying to help, and all, but the last thing we needed was coddling. Kids had been shot – how could you soften
that?
Marco Del Rossi, 11th
Reporters followed kids around for about a week after the shooting. After that, the story got old
and people stopped caring. It was a relief, don’t get me wrong, but also kind of depressing, in a way. Like what was
happening to us – how we were dealing – stopped being important. I know I shouldn’t take it personally –
that’s the media for you, right? But I can’t help it.
Ellie Nash, 11th
After the shooting, school sort of got – quieter. Teachers tiptoed around us, reporting anything
that must suggest “suicidal tendencies” or “violent behavior”. Even the kids were acting differently.
We were all super-nice to each other; super-courteous; super-empathetic. It was like we all suddenly realized what could stem
from a single snarky remark. So even the cheerleaders laid off for those first few weeks – it was actually hard to get
used to. A little unnerving.
Liberty Van Zandt, 10th
I wasn’t the same person after the shooting. I tried to be normal and fall back into my old
routine, but – it’s hard to, you know? You want to go back to the things and people you used to love –
but you just can’t. Not when everytime you laugh the image of Rick Murray pointing a pistol at you flashes through your
mind. You can’t stop it or fix it or anything… So you just stop laughing.
Emma Nelson, 10th
It took me a long time to consistantly remember that Rick was dead. I’d go to call him, or
email him or something – sometimes getting as far as actually leaving a message on his machine – and then I’d
suddenly stop and realize. Oh, yeah. Right. He got shot.
Toby Issacs, 10th
For the first few weeks after everything, I couldn’t sleep. I was a total insomniac. It was
freaky. I’d lie in bed for hours, desperately trying to fall asleep. But I couldn’t. I’d try to imagine
soothing, relaxing things to help tire my brain out, but I couldn’t do that, either. The only image I could ever conjure
was Jimmy, lying on the ground, with a bullet in his back.
Craig Manning, 11th
I was a little shakey for weeks after the shooting. A little paranoid. After all, I had nearly been
shot – who knew what other horrible tragedies could strike at any moment? I got over it, though. You get over everything.
But those first few weeks, I was a wreck. My mind was a blur of Rick’s gun and Abby’s arm and the ambulance that
took her away. I just couldn’t get any of it out of my head.
JT Yorke, 10th
I couldn’t deal with myself after the shooting. I hated me. After what I had done… Not
just the paint-and-feathers thing, but the whole ratting-Jimmy-out thing, too… I was surprised no one else saw through
my fake smiles to the guilty scumbag inside. I know I did.
Spinner Mason, 11th
I was the happiest of my friends, post-shooting. That’s pretty weird, isn’t it? I mean,
considering that I was the one with bullet shards in my arm? But, really, I wasn’t all that affected. I mean, compared
to Emma – she had never been good with people staring at her – or Craig, who couldn’t sleep, I was perfectly
fine. I didn’t even get much of the hero treatment, although people said I deserved it. Sean got the majority of the
publicity for that - he got pretty worked up over it. So, basically, what I’m
trying to say is that I was dealing fine with the shooting. That is, until Sean left. That messed me up pretty bad.
Abby Benson, 10th
The reality of the shooting didn’t set in until a few days later. School was a joke that day,
I remember – it was a blur of guidance counselors and acceptance and lame speeches. It was laughable. Some kids were
getting into it, but I couldn’t see why. I mean – yeah, it sucked that Jimmy and Abby had gotten hurt, but it
was too late to change what had happened. We couldn’t do anything about it, so why bother talking? That would just keep
the incident fresh in our minds – the last thing I wanted to do.
Sean Cameron, 10th
Sean left. He couldn’t take the frenzy – so he went back to his parents, in Wasaga Beach. I though
he was lucky. I wanted to leave.
Emma Nelson, 10th
I was so, so, so angry at Sean for leaving town. He was one of the bravest people I knew
– he had just saved so many lives! He was a hero. He should have been able to handle a few cameras and reporters!
Seriously. I was dealing. Emma was dealing. Our entire fricking school was dealing. But Sean? Nope. Not Sean. He ditched town.
- Abby Benson, 10th
I hadn’t seen my parents in over four years. But I needed them – I needed support; family;
guidance. The kinds of things I hadn’t gotten in four years. My parents weren’t known for their stability, but
they did their best. I’m sorry that I left so quickly. I just – had to get out of there. Degrassi – and
everything that just happened – was suffocating me.
Sean Cameron, 10th
I was constantly worrying about Jimmy, at first. Was he okay? How was he doing? Was he getting good
treatment? Was he relaxed? Was he happy? Was he dealing? I nearly failed a class, I was so preoccupied with him. It took me
a while to – I don’t know – chill out. I was paranoid something was going to happen – something bad.
If a shooting at Degrassi was possible, then, well, anything was.
Hazel Aden, 11th
It took me months to fully get past the shooting. I wasn’t the same person for a long, long
time. I was cold, distant. I just found it hard to have fun or appreciate anything. How good could life be if it could have
just as easily been ripped away from me?
Emma Nelson, 10th
Going home after all that time in the hospital was… Weird. Especially with the new wheels.
Although, the wheelchair wasn’t even all that hard to get used to. More the people. Everyone was all nice to me; babying
me; treating me like some incapable cripple. They meant, well, I guess, but all they did was make it harder for me to get
back to normal.
Jimmy Brooks, 11th
It took me like six months, but I eventually confessed to playing a big role in the entire shooting.
I couldn’t live with the guilt. Not that owning up erased what I did or anything, but it definitely helped. I don’t
regret it – I did the right thing. Not that Jimmy or anyone thought so. After I confessed, they all stopped talking
to me.
Spinner Mason, 11th
Spinner didn’t confess for the right reasons. He did it to make himself feel
better. He didn’t care about me – he never cared about me. I can’t believe I was ever friends with
that prick.
Jimmy Brooks, 11th
Spinner? Ew. Don’t talk to me about him.
Hazel Aden, 11th
My entire life fell apart after that. I was expelled from Degrassi, my girlfriend dumped me, my
friends ditched me – people I didn’t even know hated me! I was living hell. I contemplated suicide. Weirdly
enough, I began to understand what Rick had gone through; how horribly I had tortured him. And I began to regret what I had
done even more. But it was too late. I had made a mistake. We all made mistakes. Now Rick was dead and it was too late to
fix anything. To this day, I’m still having a hard time getting over that.
pinner Mason, 11th
Once school started again the next year, pretty much everyone had forgotten about the shooting.
Conversation was back to the usual gossip and mindless chatter. Kids teased each other; we assumed our normal social ranks.
Things went back to normal. No one cared anymore about the violent, bullied loner who hadn’t been able to find an outlet
for his anger; we all got used to Jimmy in his wheelchair. There aren’t any real reasons. We simply stopped remembering.
It got too trying after a while, I guess. But not me. For the rest of my life, I’ll wake up sometimes, in a cold sweat,
Rick’s face ricocheting around the back of my brain. I’ll always remember our friendship… And its tragic
end. People say Rick doesn’t deserve it – but I’m not going to forget. He deserves, at least, that courtesy.
Everyone deserves to be remembered.
Toby Issacs, 10th
