Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Michigan State Shooting Survivor Reveals She Also Survived Sandy Hook In Heartbreaking TikTok

TikTok screenshot of Jackie Matthews; a sign for Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut
@jmattttt/TikTok; Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Jackie Matthews, who survived the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, is now a senior at Michigan State University—and lives directly across from where the deadly shooting took place on Monday night.

The ubiquity of mass shootings in the United States is such that there's a higher probability that someone who survived one mass shooting might be retraumatized when forced to contend with another.

Consider Jackie Matthews, who survived the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, is now a senior at Michigan State University—where a gunman killed three of her fellow students and wounded five others on Monday night.


Matthews found herself reliving the horror and anxiety of the first mass shooting even more directly upon learning the shooting take place directly across from her dorm.

The 21-year-old went viral on TikTok for sharing that the fact "that this is the second mass shooting that I have now lived through is incomprehensible" and revealing she still suffers from a “full-blown PTSD fracture” in her lower back from the hours she spent sheltering in place during the Sandy Hook shooting.

Although she later changed her settings to "private," Matthews' video would also be shared widely on Twitter.

You can hear what she said in the video below.

Matthews said:

"I am 21 years old, and this is the second mass shooting that I have now lived through."
"Ten years and two months ago I survived the Sandy Hook shooting. And when I was crouched in the corner in school in Newtown, Connecticut, on 12/14/12, I was hunched in the corner with my classmates for so long that I actually got a PTSD fracture in my L4 and L5 [vertebrae] in my right lower back."
"I now have a full-blown PTSD fracture that flares up anytime I am in a stressful situation, or anything occurs that's aggressive like that. The fact that this is the second mass shooting that I have now lived through is incomprehensible."

Matthews went on to say that her "heart goes out to all the families and the friends of the victims of this Michigan State shooting" but called for politicians to pass comprehensive gun reform because "we can no longer just provide love and prayers":

"It needs to be legislation, it needs to be action. It's not okay. We can no longer allow this to happen."
"We can no longer be complacent. I'll forever be Sandy Hook strong, and forever be Spartan strong."

Matthews' video prompted many to express their outrage and sadness while echoing her call for reform.






Sadly, Matthews is not the only MSU student to go through similar, frightening experiences.

Emma Riddle, a freshman studying history at the university, survived the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School, located about 80 miles from the university campus. Her father told CNN she "was very fearful and scared" and that he "just talked to her and tried to make her feel calm.”

"Tonight, I am sitting under my desk at Michigan State University, once again texting everyone ‘I love you,’" she wrote online.

Andrea Ferguson, whose daughter started classes at the university just one month ago, told CNN affiliate WDIV her daughter and other classmates were also survivors of the same shooting.

Ferguson said she was on the phone with her daughter when she received texts about the shooting on campus and said the experience "was like reliving Oxford all over again."

More from Trending

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
DRM News/YouTube

Trump Ripped After Going Off On Bonkers Rant About Room's Decor During Cabinet Meeting

During Tuesday's cabinet meeting while the press was in attendance, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump gave a rambling stream of consciousness speech that went all over the place before landing on paint versus gold leaf, leading people to again question the POTUS' mental acuity amid a notable cognitive decline.

In a disjointed monologue about the decor in the cabinet room, Trump said he stole a grandfather clock from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office and chose a painting of James Polk because the frame matched the frame around his favorite President—Andrew Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Eric Adams
@ericadamsfornyc/Instagram

NYC Mayor Eric Adams Roasted After Viewers Notice Awkward Detail In His 'Morning Routine' Video

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was widely mocked after he shared a video on social media of his "morning routine," with time stamps showing his activities—only for viewers to notice that a standard black-and-white wall clock visible in part of the video showed a very different time.

Adams jumped on the latest Instagram trend this week, sharing his version of a “morning routine” video with his followers. The trend, which has already begun to fade, typically features sped-up clips of people going through their early rituals—complete with edits, ambient music, and timestamp overlays.

Keep ReadingShow less