Powerful Portraits of People Whose Lives Have Been Forever Changed Due to School Shootings
Orla was a student at the Annunciation School and in the Church when the shooting occurred. Her best friend, Harper, was killed during the shooting. Harper’s parents wanted Orla to have Harper’s turtle, Bubbles. The necklace that Orla is wearing contains some of Harper’s ashes inside.
Photographer Kathy Shorr has spent 13 years documenting the devastating effects of gun violence in the United States.
She recently completed her third installment of the project, called SHOT: We the School Community, which focuses on the students, parents, teachers, and community members whose lives have been forever changed by school shootings.
Each participant chose their own portrait location, selecting a place that holds personal significance and connects them to the event.
“I gave the survivors the autonomy to choose a place of profound significance to them,” Shorr tells PetaPixel.
The locations fell into two categories: some chose to return to the site of the tragedy to actively confront it. Others chose environments rooted in healing, safety, or comfort.
On March 27, 2023, a 28 year old former student shot and killed three nine-year-olds and three adults, including the school principal at The Covenant School. Melissa’s son, Ozzy, was a student at the school. Some of the students and teachers fled the school and ran down the hill to the local firehouse. They were hiding inside the locked firehouse when some parents went by there looking for their children (this was before the reunification locations were set up). Melissa saw Ozzy inside the firehouse and both of them put their hands on the glass to connect.
In September 2024, a new 14-year-old student came to Apalachee HS with an assault rifle given to him by his father, even though he had mental health issues. He killed two students and two teachers. His father was charged and convicted facing more than 100 years in prison. He is the second parent in the nation to be held responsible for a mass shooting by their child.
Elijah is standing on the athletic field which was the reunification location after the shooting for parents and students. The process took most of the day to complete. Elijah said that he will never forget the day that this happened.
On August 27, 2025, a 23 year old, former student of the school brought an AR-15-style rifle to the school, along with a shotgun and handgun. The 300 students were in the church attending Mass for the opening of the school year. The shooter barricaded the doors and fired 120 rounds through the church’s stained glass windows. Two students were killed and 28 people were injured in the shooting before the shooter died by suicide.
All three brothers were in the church when the shooting occurred. Arlo, the boy in the white shirt, was hit with shrapnel in the head and back. All three boys are in therapy and do not wish to go back inside of the church.
April’s daughter, Makenna, was killed during the shooting at Robb Elementary School. She is photographed on the family farm with Makenna’s horse, Little Red. April and her family (parents and three children) go to fairs with their animals to give children the chance to interact with them.
In September 2025, a 16 year old student at Evergreen HS brought a 38 caliber gun to school. At lunchtime, he began firing at teachers and students who were eating lunch. Two students were physically injured and many others emotionally traumatized during the course of nine minutes before the shooter killed himself.
Andrew teaches graphic arts, photography and mountain bike repair at the school. He is also the coach of the Mountain Bike Club. He was sitting with a group of fellow teachers in the cafeteria when the shooter targeted this group first. He now has trouble remembering all that happened during the shooting.
Shorr says the project spans all levels of American education, including elementary schools, high schools, and universities.
“It reveals a simple but devastating truth: no one is safe from gun violence in our schools, or anywhere in America,” Shorr says.
The project includes Oxford High School in Michigan; Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; Michigan State University; Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia; The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee; Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida; Brown University; Annunciation School in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Evergreen High School in Colorado.
Zoe is the older sister of Abu Touray (below). She was a senior at Oxford High School when the shooting occurred. She is photographed at a coffee shop where many of the students would go after school. Zoe started a small non-profit to help others who have experienced school shootings.
In the evening of February 13, 2023, a man got off of a local Lansing bus and walked onto the MSU campus. He entered an unlocked building on campus and opened the back door (with a broken lock) to a classroom that had an ongoing class. He shot and killed two students in the class and injured five others. He then continued to walk on the campus and he killed another student before killing himself when confronted by police three hours later and off campus.
Nancy and Ted’s daughter, Alex, an athlete and student sitting in the classroom, was killed. Nancy and Ted asked me to photograph them at the location where Alex was killed. They are standing inside of Berkey Hall and I am outside looking in. They have a non-profit and raise money for scholarships for students.
The Uvalde school shooting occurred on May 24, 2022, when an 18 year old former student fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School. Twelve-year-old Abby was a student at the school. She was best friends with Tess, one of the students killed in the shooting. Abby has made her room into a shrine for Tess. She is now home-schooled.
A 15 year old student opened fire at Oxford HS killing four students and wounding seven in November 2021. His parents had bought him the gun even though he had severe mental health concerns. They were sentenced to 10-15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
Abu was a freshman at the high school when this occurred. Now as a senior he is still traumatized by the events of that day.
Shorr says that it “makes no sense” that gun violence has become a polarizing issue in the United States.
“The Second Amendment in America is not going to go away. We must move past the division and work on the common ground that most rational people can agree on,” she says.
“For instance, if you are a parent or have children in your home, including teenagers, you want those children to be safe and to live long, healthy lives.
“Why, then, would anyone leave a firearm unlocked where a child could see it, find it, play with it, or take it to school? All guns should be secured with gun locks or stored in gun safes in homes with children or mentally impaired individuals.”
Shorr points to two shootings where that was the case: Oxford High School and Apalachee High School. In both instances, the parents have been sentenced to prison.
“This should not be an issue open to debate. Both the auto industry and the tobacco industry saw Americans come together to create common sense laws that protected everyone,” she adds.
“This same collective action must happen in the gun industry as well. It should not be a political battleground; it is a human rights violation not to protect our children.”
Emily was a freshman when I photographed her and was a senior in high school. Both of her parents had gone to FSU and it was Emily’s dream school. She never had a time that she thought about attending another college. After the shooting occurred, she made up her mind to continue with her plans to attend FSU. She did not let the tragedy change her course.
Kai was a freshman at Evergreen HS when the shooting occurred. The shooter ran down the hallway chasing Kai and his friend. Kai was not hit but his friend was shot. The shooter continued to chase Kai. His cat, Tiger and playing the piano are ways that Kai copes with his anxiety from that day.
Kim and Felix lost their daughter. Lexi, during the shooting at Robb Elementary School. They are standing by the batting cages where Lexi played softball. Kim has become an activist about gun violence and frequently appears at the Texas State House in Austin to speak about their loss.
In April, 2025, a 20 yr. old student took a Glock handgun belonging to his stepmother onto the campus of FSU, near the Student Union building and began firing. Two employees of the university were killed and six students were wounded. Alessandra was a junior majoring in political science. This was the second school shooting that touched her life. When she was in 8th grade a friend was killed in the shooting at the local HS- the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland Florida. Alessandra is holding a dried flower from a bouquet she brought to her friend’s memorial service.
Shorr has already completed two projects on gun violence. SHOT: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America was created between 2013 and 2025, while SHOT: We the Mothers Philadelphia and Miami was photographed between 2021 and 2023.
“Having worked on this trilogy for 13 years, I have met 300 remarkable survivors who have completely changed my life,” she says.
“Many people ask me how I can spend so much time on such a depressing subject. I always tell them that while the subject matter is heavy, the people are anything but depressing.
“They are courageous, strong, caring, and generous individuals who participate in these projects because they want to help others avoid experiencing the pain they have endured.
“With each person I photographed, I became more determined to share their stories with the world, turning their private heartbreak into a powerful catalyst for change.”
More of Shorr’s work can be found on her website and Instagram.
Image creditsPhotographs by Kathy Shorr
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