12
The Free Press
Editorial
WHO IS TO BLAME? O 12 Editorial by Maria Mosconi
children die from gun violence per day in America
Of American children,
4.6 mil
live in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked.
There have been at least
50
school shootings so far in 2024 as of Sept. 19. Black youth are
4 times
more likely to be killed with guns than their white peers. Of gun deaths,
1 of 10
are age 19 or younger Collected from the Sandy Hook Promise and The Violence Project
n Sept. 4, just weeks after students and staff returned for the new school year, America was again burdened by gun violence in classrooms. Early that morning, 14-year-old Colt Gray armed himself, killing four individuals and leaving seven injured at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
A quarter century after the Columbine High School shooting, Apalachee High School joined the growing list of 416 other school shootings that have taken place since 1999, according to the Washington Post.
The aftermath of these attacks leaves frightened students, parents, staff and community members searching for who is to blame. However, the responsibility doesn’t completely lie with the person that pulled the trigger. Unregulated gun ownership has become a long standing debate in American politics; many American’s national identity is associated with their right to bear arms. While other countries restrict gun rights following shootings, American politicians have been less keen to enact strict laws in favor of earning votes. In fact, 32 states allow for teachers to carry concealed arms in case of a shooting. If lawmakers are more willing to arm teachers than to compromise on gun restrictions, then they are not interested in preventing shootings. When you have the power, why wouldn’t you use it to prevent a person from becoming a shooter instead of relying on teachers to shoot first? Lax gun ownership laws make weapons easily accessible, with 68% of guns used in schools being taken from home or known personnel, according to the Sandy Hook Promise. In the second case where a parent has been charged following a shooting, the legal system held Colin Gray accountable for giving his son the murder weapon.