The number of school shootings in the last 55 years has increased by twelvefold. According to the Washington Post there have been 417 school shootings in the past 25 years, and 26 in 2024 alone, as well as three in the month of September so far.
Relaxed background checks and gun laws as well as unchecked mental health issues continue to contribute to an all time high in gun violence that plagues our nation.
In 17 out of the 26 school shooting cases that have happened in the U.S. in the last year the shooter has been under 18 years old. This begs the question: how are adolescents getting their hands on these guns, and why aren’t there stricter laws preventing this? The majority of these students obtain guns from their own households. According to Michigan Medicine, in 74% of incidents, the firearm that was used was from the students home, or a relative or friend’s home. In the second most recent school shooting at Apalachee high school in Georgia 4 people were killed and 9 hospitalized when 14 year old Colt Gray opened fire on his classmates and teachers. He had been previously flagged for behavioral issues and gun threats. Wondering where he got the gun? His father gave him access to it. Background checks on mental health issues on the people in the houses as a whole, not just the person purchasing the gun, should be taken far more seriously.
Furthermore the gun that Colt Gray’s father gave him wasn’t just an ordinary gun used for hunting, it was a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle. Rifles have been used in 23% of school shootings in the past 25 years which equates to almost 96 school shootings. Why would anyone who isn’t in the police force have any need for an AR-15 assault rifle?
Moreover 53% of school shooters have been diagnosed with either mental health issues, or substance abuse. Despite many of these students being diagnosed, there is a high chance that the remaining 47% could have undiagnosed mental health issues as well. In an article written by Turnbridge, it is confirmed that two thirds of mental health conditions fly under the radar and remain unnoticed. “I suspect it is not the rise in mental illness that is having a direct effect on the rise of school shootings. Instead, it may actually be the lack of diagnosis and sufficient care for those suffering from mental illness” states security officer for Westminster Christian Academy Tim DeWitt.
So what is the public’s problem with cracking down on gun laws? The majority of the people who resist the idea of stricter gun laws and or background checks are afraid that “their” gun will be taken away or that the government will overstep the people’s boundaries. Despite popular belief, unless you have blatant reasons not to own a gun, you’re safe. The goal of stricter, more invasive background checks is not to take away the American people’s guns or to get up in their business, but to keep them from getting into the hands of people with severe mental health issues, teenagers, and adults who let their kids have access to their guns. According to an article written by The Trace the majority of background checks are 16 questions and take only two minutes. This seems like a scarily short process for purchasing something so lethal that can cause such devastation.
Another common argument is that stricter gun laws would go against the second amendment as well as people’s freedom to hunt. Depending on the strictness this could be true, but I believe only certain guns should be outlawed to the public, not all of them. I specifically believe automatic rifles should be more restricted, which once again have accounted for almost 96 school shootings in the last 25 years. According to an article written by Magnum one of the most commonly used hunting guns is a shotgun, as they make for easy handling, so what’s the need to own a gun like a semi-automatic rifle that can cause so much damage so quickly.
Lastly, it is argued by many that mental health is not the lead cause of school shootings and shouldn’t be the main focus, but this is not true. The Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center studied 41 school shooting incidents during a 9 year span and found that school shooters usually had multiple motives, one of which being classmate grievances. Psychological, behavioral, or developmental symptoms are also common in school shooters, as well as mental health symptoms according to the NTAC. These mental health issues stemmed mainly from bullying or a negative home life. Though there are many different paths to developing mental health issues, no matter what they are caused by, they must be addressed.
To decrease the great amount of school shootings happening in the U.S., I believe we should make deeper and more detailed background checks on mental health issues not just with the purchaser of the gun, but also those living in the house and then assess accordingly whether or not it’s safe to give the person a gun. Another helpful law would be to not allow semi-automatic AR rifles to be available to the common public, this might help make school shootings less likely, but more than that make them less deadly when they do occur. Lastly mental health issues, no matter how seemingly small they may seem, need to be addressed better. More counselors available at schools, and more people looking out for these issues.
If we adhere to stricter gun control laws and background checks as well as give more attention to mental health, there’s a chance we could improve out gun violence ridden nation.
