Michael Purvey ’17

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The recent attacks in Brussels have shocked and touched people all over the world. On the morning of Tuesday March 22, 2016 two bombs went off at the Belgian capital’s Zaventem Airport and on a subway train at Maelbeek Metro station. These blasts claimed 34 lives and injured over 200. Others have been reported missing following the attacks.

The manhunt that has spanned nations for the Accomplice of the suicide bombers went on early Wednesday morning as Islamic State terrorists warned of further “dark days” ahead for anyone who opposed them.

Investigators are focusing on whether or not CCTV video from moments before the airport blasts shows two of the three suspected terrorists with gloves on to hide detonators.

There were also a few Americans present at the attacks. Mason Wells, a 19-year-old from Sandy, Utah, is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries suffered in Tuesday’s airport attack. The teenager was one of four Mormon missionaries injured in the explosions. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon as well as shrapnel injuries and burns.Wells had been in a similar situation before. Three years ago, he and his father narrowly escaped death from an April 2013 attack in the US, when a bomb went off a block away from where they were watching his mother run the Boston Marathon. Also, basketball hall-of-famer Dikembe Motumbo was at the airport, but was unharmed. The whole world is mourning after the attacks, and the Strake Jesuit community is sending its prayers.

Speaking to some of our students here at Strake, I found the common thread in everyone’s thoughts to be not only the sorrow for those affected, but also a fear that something of that nature could happen over here. “I’m really sorry for them over there, and it really makes me think that we should try to step our security,” said a sophomore.

When I asked a junior what we as a country could do to help protect from attacks like this he responded, “We need no build up our security at airports. The security checks being inside is a huge problem. Moving them outside or making it more isolated would do a lot for not only safety, but peace of mind.”