Mass Shootings in America are Happening Daily. Here’s What You Need to Know

     This article was written and published on May 9th, 2023. As of May 3rd, 2023, there have been a total of 55 mass shootings in America just in the month of April, and 193 total in 2023.
See the newest information on mass shootings in 2023 here: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting

     Shootings happen every single day in America, but mass shootings have recently been on the rise. A mass shooting is a crime where an attacker (or attackers) injure and/or kill four or more people using firearms. These situations are occurring nearly every day across the states in America, sometimes multiple per day. Currently, there are more mass shootings than days so far this year. Not only do these incidents happen in schools, but some have also occurred at funerals, banks, parks, celebrations/ birthday parties, shopping centers, and more.

     So why are these shootings happening more often? This question does not have an easy answer, but the main reason would probably be the legality to personally own a firearm, according to the Second Amendment (having the “Right To Bear Arms”), including assault rifles. The US Congress has done nothing yet against the violence of guns in America, allowing the statistics of mass shootings to be increasing exponentially.

     Bullying is another factor that can cause a shooting. “A victim of bullying decides they are going to respond with extreme violence, and it’s usually not against their perpetrators.” Says William Pelfrey, a professor of homeland security/emergency preparedness. “It’s a show of force to demonstrate they won’t be bullied again. They can stand up for themselves. That describes Sandy Hook and Columbine and some other shootings.”

     Currently, there are more firearms existing in the US than Americans. The US population is at 334 million, while the number of guns in the US is nearly 390 million. Safety seems to be low in many areas where these have occurred, including the Louisville bank shooting. Some schools in America also have low safety, easily allowing some intruders (or even students) to come into the building without being stopped or searched.

     Cavelero’s principal, Dr. Sellers, has stated in response to the rise of school shootings and Cavelreo’s safety, “While teaching and learning is the primary purpose of our school, we are dedicated to student safety, from the multi-million dollar security systems the district has in place to training all our students and staff on effective emergency protocols… We have dedicated a significant percentage of our staff’s professional learning to safety, staying vigilant and hyper-focused on our surroundings.” Dr. Sellers also mentioned that he is a father of three children and works closely with LSSD security and the local police to ensure our school remains safe and secure at all times.

     Does our government have any plans to stop shootings? According to a statement made on whitehouse.gov, “In his State of the Union address earlier this month [March 28th, 2022], President Biden highlighted his comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence. He emphasized the $350 billion in American Rescue Plan funds that we’ve made available for cities, counties, and states that enable them to hire more police and invest in proven strategies like community violence intervention.”

     President Biden had also announced last year on August 30th, 2022, that he is determined to ban assault weapons nationwide, although his request to Congress has not been confirmed yet, meaning nothing has been done to stop this epidemic.

More information on President Biden’s official response can be found at the following link:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/blog/2022/03/28/taking-on-gun-crime-and-violence-with-a-whole-of-government-approach/ .