The issue of gun violence at institutions of higher education has been a pertinent one in the American society. Campus shootings around the United States have led to the loss of precious lives of young people who are in their prime and who are pursuing an education with the hope of bettering their future lives and contributing to the growth and development of the nation. This targeted gun violence on campuses is worrying because it causes students to develop fear and a feeling of vulnerability to the gun wielders who choose to target them. It is mandatory that campuses be safe environments for students where they can go about their school work and extra-curricular activities without fear of being targets of gun-wielding murderers (Drysdale et al., 2010). Ensuring the safety of college and university communities is something of crucial importance.
The extent of campus shootings is hugely pronounced. At least twenty-seven shootings occurred on or near college campuses in 2013 only (Kingkade, 2014). As a result of these shootings, eighteen people lost their lives, and others suffered injuries in connection with the unfortunate shootings. These shootings include any that happened on a campus college or areas close enough to a campus for a college to believe that the incident posed a threat to students. The number of shootings has been on the rise, with the circumstances of the gunfire varying. Some involve the shooting of campus police officers, shooting of college administrators, students shooting their roommates, students being caught in gunfire that resulting from robbery incidents on campus and so on. At New River Community College, a shooting incident involved an active gun wielder who opened gunfire indiscriminately attempting to people in areas that were confined (Kingkade, 2014).It is noted the incidents of campus shootings have been on the rise, and it is high time that colleges, universities in collaboration with security enforcers act fast to tame this menace that disrupt campus peace.
Examples of recent campus shootings in the United States are many. On June 6, 2014, there was a shooting at Seattle Pacific University, which caused the death of one person and wounded two (Brumfield et al., 2014). The gunman was tackled by a student security guard who was working as a building monitor. The student security guard sprayed the gunman with pepper as he loaded his shotgun. The shooter was a 26-year-old man who was no studentship at the university. It is believed he acted alone, and a shotgun, rounds of unspent ammunition, and a knife were found on him (Brumfield et al., 2014).
Another incident of campus shooting occurred at Tennessee State University where two first-year female students were shot after being robbed on October 30, 2014. This shooting took place at 31 st Avenue and John Merritt Boulevard immediately the students had left Wendy’s restaurant at around 9.30 p.m. The crime involved the shooting of one student three times whereas another student was grazed by a bullet. The gunman had a visible pistol in his waistband, and he robbed the students of their backpacks. Another astonishing shooting incident happened at Florida State University campus where three were wounded, and the gunman was killed. The suspect was an alumnus of the same institution, and he muzzled his way to the campus library and shot three people before he was decimated by a police officer. The suspect was identified as Myron May, who had graduated at the same institution’s law school (Associated Press, 2014). The shooting happened around midnight, and this caused a lot of mayhem in the Strozier Library precincts. Most of the students who had been studying for their exams the entire night scrambled for cover in the book aisles (Associated Press, 2014).
With the unprecedented incidents of gun violence on campuses, there have been numerous suggestions and recommendations geared towards taming this situation. The first recommendation has been to license students to carry deadly weapons on campus for ideally two reasons. The first reason is the legal entitlement students have to self-defense in many locations in different locations in various states. This is guaranteed at the moment that they do not demonstrate the necessity for self-defense. The next reason is the need for students to defend themselves when accosted on campus (McGuiness, 2013). The presidency has been in the forefront in giving proposals about gun control. The proposals include reinstating assault weapons ban, requirement that criminal background checks be conducted prior to all gun sales, as well as limiting the size of the gun's magazine to only ten rounds (McGuiness, 2013). There have been increased activity in preparing bills that focus on allowing carrying of concealed weapons on campus.
The campus shootings are a prevalent phenomenon in the United States. Many students have fallen victim to this depressing situation; some dying and others getting injured. These shootings paint a worrisome picture on the state of security on our campuses. It is up to the campus administrators and law enforcement officers to collaborate in tackling this problem. It is expected that campuses are safe environments for students to study in, not places of terror. Therefore, both levels of government should work in overdrive to come up with recommendations that will help contain the situation.
References
Kingkade, T. (2014, January 13). There Were More Than Two Dozen Reported Shootings At College Campuses In 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/shootings-college-campuses-2013_n_4577404.html
Drysdale, D., Modzeleski, W., Simons, A., & Mueller, III, R. (2010, September 3). Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/campus-attacks
McGuinness, W. (2013, January 22). Guns on Campus: Texas, Arkansas Legislators File to Allow Concealed Carry At Colleges. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/guns-on-campus-texas-arkansas_n_2528106.html
Brumfield, B., Stapleton, A., & Sutton, J. (2014, June 6). 3 shot at Seattle Pacific University before student tackles gunman. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://edition.cnn.com/2014
