Daily Times

Earlier this year, data collected by an American think tank hinted at promising signs of a historic downturn in gun violence. However, a 14-year-old armed with an AR platform-style weapon charging into a high school on Tuesday, leaving four people dead and at least nine injured in Georgia explains that no matter what the politicians may argue, America’s gun problem is far from over.

It is easy for the White House to call for stricter gun controls or for Congress to fund studies to look at ways how to introduce effective legislation, but the writing of the wall remains that a troubled teenager could easily access firearms despite being investigated by law enforcement authorities for several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.

The prevalence of guns in American households, coupled with lax gun control laws, has made it easier for individuals, including students, to obtain and use firearms in acts of violence.

There’s ample evidence to look at the correlation between gun availability and the incidence of gun-related deaths in the US. But before presidential candidates hop aboard the campaign bandwagon to discuss the menace, they would do well to look at how it is triggered by societal factors such as mental health issues, social isolation, and bullying

The rise in school shootings has profound implications for society as a whole as it instils fear and uncertainty among students, parents, and educators, concerned about their safety in schools.

Addressing the rise in school shootings requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses gun control measures, mental health support, and community engagement to prevent unauthorized access to firearms and identify individuals at risk of committing violent acts. Simply pouring more money into the police has, until now, meant that the country’s youth stand imperilled from all corners – may it be from the epidemic of gun violence or biased policies of law enforcement. *