Thoughts, Prayers and Action: How to stop a gun violence epidemic

Fibonacci Blue, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

JD Vance recently stirred up controversy by calling school shootings a fact of life—an inevitable, unpreventable tragedy. Are school shootings, lockdown drills, and metal detectors in schools just the new normal? According to the Washington Post, there have been 417 school shootings since Columbine. Thousands of Americans have been affected by these so-called unavoidable incidents, from death and serious injury, to trauma and loss. 

Kamala Harris, on the other hand, had a very different take on the situation. At a rally in New Hampshire, Harris said, “We have to end this epidemic of gun violence once and for all. It doesn’t have to be this way.” 

After the Parkland High School shooting, one of the slogans survivors and protesters used was “Never Again.”  This national debate has been ongoing since the ‘90s. Every time a shooting appears in the headlines, it seems to restart the conversation, deepening this contentious national divide. Are shootings a fact of life now, or is that idea fatalistic and complicit? What are the proper steps to prevent these tragedies in the future?

To solve a problem, one first must admit they have a problem. According to CNN, the U.S. has had 57 times as many school shootings as the other major industrialized nations combined. Although other countries do have mass shootings, it seems to be a uniquely American epidemic. 

 Although media often focuses exclusively on mass shootings, other forms of gun violence, such as gang shootings and suicide, plague schools in the U.S. In fact, according to Everytownresearch.org, only 20% of gun deaths in schools are attributed to mass shootings. To prevent mass shootings, America must lessen gun violence as a whole.

The solution brought up the most often is gun control, but it’s also the most controversial. Although the data is mixed, states with more gun regulations tend to have fewer gun-related deaths, up to 36% less. 

Gun control was one of the controversial topics brought up in the debate Tuesday night. Harris, a proponent for stricter gun control (even mandatory buy-backs in the past), revealed that she is a gun owner, shutting down fear-mongering over a gun ban. Harris supports red-flag laws and universal background checks. According to researchers at the Violence Prevention Research Program, for every 10 to 20 red flag orders issued, the number of suicides falls by one. Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has claimed that gun control doesn’t work. 

Even if Vance does believe school shootings are inevitable, he is a proponent of one type of preventative measure: heightening school security. School security can mean many things, such as metal detectors, school resource officers, locked doors during the school day, bulletproof glass, and even guns issued to teachers. In 2021-2022, 46% of public schools employed school resource officers. Although the presence of SROs can reduce other forms of violence on campus (physical fights and threats), there is no evidence they prevent gun violence. 

Infamously, when the Parkland shooting happened, their school resource officer stayed outside instead of confronting the suspect. The officer, Scot Peterson, was even charged with neglect of a child and culpable negligence but was found not guilty. Unfortunately, SROs can also lead to more arrests, expulsions, and suspensions in school, which can disproportionately harm disabled students and students of color. 

Another topic often discussed surrounding gun violence is mental health, along with the way the U.S. treats the mentally ill and disabled. Podcaster Joe Rogan tweeted, “This country has a mental health problem disguised as a gun problem and a tyranny problem disguised as a security problem.” Statements like this fuel the misconception that most gun violence is perpetrated by the mentally ill. The mentally ill tend to be the victims of violence such as gun-induced suicide or police shootings. Gun violence can also spread mental health issues through trauma and PTSD.

Every 2000s kid can remember huddling in a corner with their classmates, waiting for the teacher to turn the lights back on and unlock the door. Do these types of lockdown drills work? Some dissenters claimed it causes more casualties, turning students into sitting ducks. These types of lockdowns were invented in the ‘80s to prevent students from getting hit by stray bullets in drive-by shootings. It was effective for the time, but unfortunately, school lockdowns need different strategies than just hiding now. A new initiative called ALICE focuses on getting students out first and foremost, then hiding, and then, if necessary, fighting back. 

Lastly, the media can accidentally glorify school shooters. Some shooters are motivated by fame, which the media can play into by debating over motive and plastering the suspect’s face everywhere. The perpetrator of the Isla Vista shooting became a celebratory figure to a culture of extremist “true crime” fans online. The suspect in the Toronto van attack claimed he was inspired by him. There have been calls for media organizations not to show suspects’ mugshots or release their names. NPR argues against that, claiming that using names is important to prevent the spread of misinformation. Plus if only a couple news outlets stop using pictures it doesn't prevent readers from seeing those pictures elsewhere. 

According to the CDC, for every 100,000 Americans, 14.5 will die via firearm. Beyond mass shootings, America has a gun violence epidemic. Thoughts and Prayers won’t save lives, but taking action will. There will always be gun violence, but just because something is a fact of life doesn’t mean it's acceptable. Prevention is possible.