By Beatriz Lindemann

December 31, 2025 12:19 PM

I recently experienced my second active shooter incident at Brown University, two too many for an 18-year-old girl.

After hearing gunshots and hiding in lockdown for hours at a mall in South Florida in May 2021, I was sure it couldn’t happen again. But at 4:13 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, my friend sent me a screenshot of a post on Sidechat — an app where Brown University students can post anonymously to other students.

TOP VIDEOS “STAY AWAY FROM MACMILLAN 2 PEOPLE JUST GOT SHOT IM BEING DEAD SERIOUS.”

My friends and I sprinted into the nearest building and entered the bathroom, only to realize the door lacked a lock. Petrified, we huddled in the farthest stall. At 4:22 p.m., the administration alerted students about the active shooter. Two of my friends barricaded the door. I closed my eyes and prayed.

At 14, my whole body had been shaking as I processed what was going on. At 18, I was shaking again.

A few hours later, we heard yelling. A SWAT team entered with the biggest guns I had ever seen. They led us into a classroom where I had sat through political science lectures all semester. We crawled across the floor to get to a corner. Eventually, a police officer named Kelsey came to wait with us. Around midnight, we were escorted to the indoor track — my friend’s mother picked us up an hour later.

Earlier that afternoon, we had spoken about finals and dinner outfits — the kind of conversation first-year college students are supposed to have. Minutes later, we were crafting a survival plan.

At 14, I felt unsafe in public spaces for months after witnessing the shooting at the mall and had nightmares for weeks, no matter what anyone said to try to comfort me. Now, at 18, I was trying to comfort my wounded floor-mate who was shot during the incident.

Throughout this semester, I often received the question, “How are you liking your first semester at Brown?” My answer never changed: “I love it. I’ve never seen such a happy place filled with such happy kids.” My magical school had now been attacked.

In the hours following this tragedy, our remarkable community came together — donating blood, supporting GoFundMe campaigns to help victims and their families, volunteering and donating food.

Thousands of teenagers have endured a fear no one should ever have to face; several have gone through it twice. My thoughts are with the families of Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz, killed at Brown University, and I am sending love to our entire community. It is beyond tragic; no words encapsulate it. They deserve to be here today.

While I am filled with deep sadness and anxiety, I am also angry. A few years ago, I wrote an article sharing my first experience of gun violence, and I passionately called adults to action. I write today as an angry voter with the same call to action.

Gun reform cannot be a partisan issue; it is affecting everyone. My generation is sick of living in fear, and we cannot afford to avoid the discomfort of this tragedy. Call your representatives. Vote for government officials who will regulate and enforce gun reform. Prayers and thoughts are appreciated but not enough. We deserve lawmakers who will fight to keep us safe — it must be the priority.

Four years ago, my middle school self knew we needed gun reform. When will lawmakers realize the same? It should be harder to get a gun: expanding regulations to ensure that gun owners are properly vetted. Common-sense gun regulation can coexist with responsible gun ownership.

The shooting at Brown marked the 389th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This horrific tragedy wasn’t even an anomaly.

Years ago, I asked Americans to stand together against gun violence. Today, I am not asking — I am screaming. To our elected officials: we can and must do better.

Beatriz Lindemann is a freshman at Brown University. She grew up in Miami Beach.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article314041399.html#storylink=cpy