One shooting on Monday, January 22nd, in Italy, Texas; two people were injured. Another in Marshall County, Kentucky on Tuesday January 23rd; two were killed and 18 were injured. 

According to multiple news sites, including CNN and Fox News, a breakup might have motivated the Texas shooting. The shooting occurred just before 7:55 a.m., in the school cafeteria while students gathered there before the first bell. Noelle “Cricket” Jones, the ex-girlfriend of the shooter, was shot twice, once in the abdomen and a second time in the neck. She faces “a lengthy hospital stay with multiple surgeries as well as an extended amount of time in physical rehabilitation,” according to the GoFundMe page her family made in order to afford the hospital payments. The 16-year-old shooter also shot another student in the cafeteria.

Danaisia McCowan, a student at Italy High School said, “I did know that the guy that was shooting was mad at the girl because she had left him for somebody else. So he shot at one guy and missed him, and then he shot at her.” The suspect, whose name still hasn’t been released by police, appeared in court on Wednesday the 24th after being charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to Fox News, the suspect will undergo a mental evaluation before his next hearing on February 7th. The judge ordered him to stay in juvenile detention as he is a danger to himself and others and does not have adequate supervision.

One day after the Texas shooting, another school shooting occurred in Marshall County, Kentucky. According to CNN, two students were killed and another 18 more were injured. The victims varied from ages 14 to 18. Fourteen were male and six female. A 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene, according to Gov. Matt Bevin. On the 24th the juvenile was charged with two counts of murder and 12 counts of first-degree assault. Marshall County Assistant Attorney Jason Darnall told reporters that a grand jury will meet on February 13th and the charges might change.

The authorities identified the two students that were killed as Bailey Holt and Preston Cope. Bailey died at the scene, and Preston died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard W. Sanders said the suspect, armed with a handgun, walked into the high school at 8:57 a.m. and opened fire. Two minutes later the first 911 call came.

Students explained to reporters how it all went down. Misty Green said her daughter, Morgan, was in the commons area and “heard the ‘pop, pop, pop’ and initially got down, and then just realized what was going on, so they took out running out of the building as fast as they could.” Teachers were grabbing kids up and trying to help them get to safe places, said Green. Some students still in cars, such as junior Taylor Droke, witnessed students running out of the school and took some in to leave.

Our nation has experienced 13 mass shootings already this year, and it is only January. The devastating news of these two school shootings leave our country mourning for the lost and the injured.