Watch: The Chilling Twist In This High School Love Story Raises A Vital Point

American non-profit organisation Sandy Hook Promise has released a new video that is sure to give you chills, as it talks about a rampant, fatal problem in the U.S. that occurs in clear view:

While the video initially seems like a rather heartwarming story of high-school love, the suddenness of the twist in the end truly underscores the point of the film. By involving the audience in the exercise, the video drives home the fact that school shooters are often created in plain view and display clearly visible signs, but we are all too busy to notice.

America may have a long and storied history of blaming outsiders and refugees for acts of violence and terrorism on its soil – with its newly elected President representing how legitimised such xenophobia has become – but the facts state that domestic gun violence is one of the US’s biggest killers. The most dangerous “terrorist” threats faced by America, a country notorious for its gun fetishism, come from inside the country, not outside. Till date, there have been over 50,000 mass shootings in the US, with nearly 14,000 reported deaths – among them at least 631 children and nearly 3,000 teens. In 2015 alone, there were 372 mass shootings in the country. Of these, 64 were school shootings – and this phenomenon of mass murder in high schools and colleges explains the high casualty rate amongst children and teens.

School shootings are one of the most shameful legacies of gun violence in the US – between 2013 and 2015, there have been 142 school shootings in the country, and the US has been shown to have the highest number of school shootings in the world in a study that spans nearly 250 years. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which occurred in December 2012 and resulted in the death of 20 children (all between 6 and 7 years old) and 6 adults, is a particularly egregious example, being the deadliest school shooting in US history. A lot of attention is paid to the mental health of the shooters after the incidents occur; bullying has also often been linked to the creation of school shooters.

But often, the clear, visible signs are ignored before it’s too late, as this video demonstrates. Sandy Hook Promise, which was formed by the family members and loved ones of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting with the aim of protecting children from any such acts of violence, has raised a vital point in this video. Gun violence is preventable – as long as we pay attention.