The number of mass shooting in schools is higher in America than other countries in the world. The recent event of mass shooting in a Florida high school claimed the lives of 17 people and has made the public question how such shootings can be prevented. In my opinion, I think banning assaults rifles and toughening the existing gun laws will reduce mass shooting in schools. Several types of research indicate that reducing access to firearms will be a solution to the mass shooting and domestic terrorism in America. According to the Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence report (2015) about 68% of school shootings take place when the perpetrators obtain the gun from their parents or relatives.
The most effective ways to reduce shootings in schools is not to place retired law enforcement or military in schools but to keep guns out of the hands of school going children especially AR-15 or Semi-automatic rifles. There are several cases where the AR-15 or semi-automatic assault rifles were used by assailers to commit mass killings including the recent attacks in schools such as Florida high schools and other places including the 2017 Las Vegas, Texas and Sutherland Springs shootings.
The government needs to strengthen the laws surrounding accessing guns to reduce the circulation of these weapons in the United States. The NRA report indicates that between 6 million to 10 million semi-automatic rifles are already circulating in the United States (Jacobs, 2015). Further, most of the mass shooting in school history have been executed by either AR-15 or semi-automatic rifles. Lawmakers should amend tough laws on buying and maintaining ownership of automatic weapons in our country. The Congress should stop politicizing gun issues but amend pragmatic laws that curb the ownership of deadly weapon to keep them out of the hands of irresponsible people. If the politicians turn a deaf ear on the issue of gun possession, then we will continue to witness school mass killing in the U.S.A.
- Jacobs, J. B. (2015). Why Ban Assault Weapons. Cardozo L. Rev., 37, 681.
