Survivor of Two School Shootings, Kylie Ossege, 19, Expresses Gratitude to NYC Doctors for Treatment

NEW YORK – Surviving one school shooting is traumatic enough, but 19-year-old Kylie Ossege has survived two.

Ossege visited New York City to express her gratitude towards the doctors who treated her. She survived her first school shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2019, where four of her classmates were killed and she was temporarily paralyzed due to a bullet piercing her collarbone and exiting her back.

Ossege underwent emergency surgery and months of rehabilitation. Despite this, she continued to suffer from severe back pain and underwent spinal fusion surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in July.

Returning Tuesday to thank the doctors and highlight the need for gun prevention, Ossege believes that by sharing her story, she can spark awareness and action on gun violence.

Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, and for Ossege, just 14 months after her first shooting, she experienced another shooting on the Michigan State University campus.

Health experts stress the importance of firearm safety counseling and violence prevention. They advocate for treating gun violence as a public health issue rather than a political one.

Ossege is motivated to continue advocating for safer gun laws and spreading positivity, driven by the memory of the four classmates she lost. She believes that taking care of herself and actively advocating for change are what they would want her to do.

By encouraging the country to view gun violence as a public health issue, Ossege hopes for a unified effort in preventing further tragedies.