Violence associated with gun use is one of the most prevalent social problems that countries worldwide are facing nowadays. Among the many violent crimes committed with the use of guns, mass shooting is one of the most alarming because it usually involves multiple victims. Also, the increasing incidences of youths being involved with mass shooting crimes make the whole concept of gun violence more disturbing to the public masses. The problem regarding mass shootings and gun violence may be greatly attributed to poor gun control measures. But what are the most effective ways to control gun violence? How can we alleviate the incidences of mass shootings and gun-related crimes?
Among the many incidences of mass shooting, those that are committed by youths in school premises tend to weigh more and attract more attention, especially from the media. And the one of the most recent incidence of shooting spree in a school committed by a youth occurred last October 24, 2014, when a 15-year-old high school student named Jaylen Fryberg recklessly fired at his schoolmates while they were gathered in cafeteria (Zadrozny, 2014). This incidence of mass shooting that occurred in Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington yielded four (4) critically injured victims and two (2) dead, including the shooter (Zadrozny, 2014). The weapon used by the student assailant was a gift from his parents who were very supportive of his hunting hobby (Zadrozny, 2014). Allegedly, the incidence happened as the Fryberg’s response to the recent breakup that happened between him and his girlfriend (Zadrozny, 2014).
The incidence in Marysville High School is just one of the numerous mass shooting incidences committed by young students within school premises. In a study conducted by Kleck (2009), a cluster of mass shootings in schools within USA from October 1997 to October 1999 were analyzed and found out to be mostly committed by youths aging 18 years old and below. This was a very surprising finding since federal laws even at that time serve to prohibit minors from possessing guns and/or other weapons of the same type. Yet, incidences of mass shooting still happen at large and the emerging trend of youth involvement in these crimes just make the whole issue more alarming—prompting more solutions that will redress the problems.
Another sensational incidence of mass shooting involving school youths is the 1999 Columbine shooting in Littleton, CO (Kleck, 2009). The main assailants, 18-year-old Eric Harris and 17-year-old Dylan Klebold, killed a total of 13 students while wounding 24 other using two (2) sawed-off shotguns, a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, and another 9 mm semiautomatic carbine on April 20, 1999 (Kleck, 2009). According to reports, this incidence was planned a year prior to execution and the guns possessed by the gunmen were bought from a gun show by another friend who was unknowing of their plans (Kleck, 2009).
But the usual manner through which youths acquire their guns is not through gifts of tolerance from parents or straw purchases from gun shows or other gun retailers. As summarized by Kleck (2009), most of the guns used by youths in mass shootings are gathered from theft. In the seven (7) incidences of mass shooting featured in Kleck’s paper (2009), four (4) of the cases involved youths whose weapons were acquired from stealing. This is an important aspect as we could see that mass shooting and gun violence also include other crimes such as stealing which require more attention in order for a solution to be drawn.
The rates of incidences of gun violence and mass shootings committed by schoolboys, killing other young students within school premises are undoubtedly horrifying and disturbing, but these cases represent just a small part of the total incidences of gun-related crime and mass shooting that happen especially in USA. School shootings are actually rare (Cornell, 2014). Mass public shootings are still more prevalent in non-school environment and most mass shooting assailants are beyond the age of minority (Crime Prevention Research Center, 2014). But what really motivates such individual to commit such crimes that could hurt and, oftentimes, take the lives of other individuals? Addressing the real causes behind gun violence and mass shootings is necessary in order for a solution to become conceivable.
Gun violence and mass shooting are oftentimes associated with mental illnesses. It is believed that assailants most of the time suffer from mental conditions which should automatically explain the motive behind their reckless shooting. But on the contrary, mental illnesses are not always associated with gun violence and mass shooting. According to Cornell (2014), mentally-ill people are not always involved with violent crimes and there is only a small fraction of crimes related to gun violence and mass shooting that can be attributed to mentally-ill individuals. The belief that mass shootings and gun violence are an inevitable impulse of a mentally-ill individual with a tendency to commit violent crimes must be rectified as this could hinder any pending progress which may be made to reduce the incidences of such crimes. Authorities who believe that mass shootings and gun violence are solely born out of mental inconsistency will set aside the real culprits that bring life to the problem.
Many factors contribute to the emergence of violent crimes related to gun use and addressing those factors could help in determining what is actually lacking in measures being implemented to control gun-related crime incidences—especially mass shootings. Given the examples stated above, we can see negligence and faults both in the system of laws being implemented to control gun-related crimes and in citizens’ way of handling their guns.
Currently, USA has the most number of reported cases of mass shootings and gun violence compared to other countries of affluence like United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany (Cornell, 2014). The high incidence of gun-related crimes in America is highly attributed to poor system of laws and poor implementation of such laws that actually control the prevalence of gun use within the entire country. The examples stated above are not yet the worst incidences of gun-related crimes yet they are alarming enough to supposedly compel the authorities to act and the citizens to be aware of the dangers of gun possession.
According to Kleck (2009), incapability of the government to legislate and enact a law that will actually make a change in the prevalence of gun-related crimes is most likely due to erroneous perception of the real problems associated with the issue. Legislators are continuously passing laws that do not make substantial difference to the rate of gun-related crimes (Kleck, 2009). Also, opposing views on gun possession is a critical contributor to the prevalence of gun-related crimes and mass shooting incidences. The view that guns are necessary for one person to protect himself in cases of abuse or harm is actually sensible. In fact, many of the shooting sprees committed in USA would have resulted to worse cases had not armed officers came and intervened with their own weapon (Kleck, 2009). In other instances, even civilians who possess their own guns for protection can serve to save others who are also on the verge of danger. In one incidence featured in Kleck’s paper (2009), an assistant principal in one high school, using his own personal gun, actually stopped one assailant from his mass shooting in a school. This is one of the reasons why a complete gun ban in US is seen as inapplicable. Citizens widely believed that they should be capable of protecting themselves in times assault or crime. Despite, being true, the looseness of federal laws on gun acquisition creates a hole into which irregularities permeate.
In the examples we have given, not just the loose implementation of federal gun control laws can be considered as the hole through which irregularities seep in, especially in the cases of juvenile mass shooting. The tolerance demonstrated by parents regarding their children’s acquisition of deadly weapons in the forms of guns is highly disturbing as well. In fact, one case of mass shooting in Kleck’s paper (2009) involved a 15-year-old student as an assailant whose numerous guns used in the shooting were all gifts from his father. Even among the examples above, parents tolerating—sometimes promoting—their children’s possession of firearms have caused the culprit. Just like in the recent shooting case of Fryberg in Washington—whose guns he acquired from his parents as gifts he was supposed to use in hunting—had not his parents given him such items, especially considering his tender age of 15, there is a greater possibility that the crime would not take place at all.
An improvement with the restrictions regarding the age of persons who can actually purchase and possess a gun can prove to be helpful in alleviating gun-related crimes that involve youth. But that is just one way of solving the problem as a whole. To truly create a substantial impact on the reduction of gun-related crimes, federal laws shall be stricter in evaluating who can buy and sell firearms. Gun shows should also be regulated and illegal gun retailers should be banned. A system of laws that will actually ensure that illegal retailers of guns who have the tendency to sell even on minors therefore, violating federal laws are banned will be really helpful. Campaign against the use of firearms among minors and among persons who have the tendencies to commit violent crimes should be heightened. Authorities, parents, and citizens alike are all responsible in creating steps that will significantly reduce the incidences of gun-related crimes, therefore creating a more peaceful environment for both adults and youths.
References
Cornell, D.G. (2014, June 11). Gun violence and mass shootings—myths, facts and solutions. The New York Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/06/11/gun-violence-and-mass-shootings-myths-facts-and-solutions/
Crime Prevention Research Center. (2014). The Myths about Mass Public Shootings: Analysis. Retrieved from http://crimepreventionresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/CPRC-Mass-Shooting-Analysis-Bloomberg2.pdf
Kleck, G. (2009). Mass Shootings in Schools: The Worst Possible Cases for Gun Control. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(10), 1447-1464. DOI: 10.1177/0002764209332557
Zadrozny, B. (2014, Oct. 24). The Homecoming Prince Who Tweeted His Killing Spree. The Daily Beast. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/24/the-homecoming-prince-who-tweeted-his-killing-spree.html
