According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), there will be more than 130 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, making gun violence a grim reality. On March 28, a gunman opened fire at an upper school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing four students and wounding seven others before taking his own life. This was the most recent tragedy.
Following the incidents at Michigan State University on February 14 and a high school in Philadelphia on January 12, 2023, the shooting in Nashville was the third mass shooting at a school. According to the GVA, Tennessee is the state with the most mass shootings thus far this year, as it has experienced 15 of them.
According to the GVA, a mass shooting is one in which four or more people, excluding the perpetrator, are shot roughly at the same time in a single location. Using media reports and official sources, the GVA monitors US shootings and their characteristics.
According to the GVA data, 2023 is on track to be one of the deadliest years in recent memory for mass shootings. In contrast, 611 mass shootings took place in 2020, 417 in 2019, and 337 in 2018. In 2017, the GVA recorded 639 mass shootings, the highest number ever.
Experts suggest a few potential contributors to the problem, despite the ramified and multifaceted nature of the reasons for the increase in mass shootings. These include the ease with which firearms can be obtained, particularly those with large capacities and magazines; the sparsity of universal gun safety measures and preliminary checks; the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on society and the economy; the rise of polarization and extremism; and the lack of mental health services and resources.
Numerous advocates and activists have demanded that legislators and leaders take firsthand whoopee to address the problem of gun violence and stop the increasing number of deaths. Expanding preliminary checks and red flag laws, increasing funding for gun violence research and prevention programs, strengthening mental health services and political interventions, and promoting a culture of peace and respect are some of the suggested solutions. Others include banning thumping weapons and high-capacity magazines.
However, there has been little political momentum or consensus in Congress or state legislatures to pass meaningful gun safety legislation, despite widespread public support for some of these measures. Many Republicans oppose any restrictions on gun rights, while many Democrats well-wisher for stricter regulations, making the issue extremely contentious and partisan.
Numerous individuals are pondering when and how this trundling of violence will end as the United States struggles with yet flipside tragedy involving mass shootings. Thoughts and prayers are not unbearable for the gun violence victims and survivors. They need justice and healing. Now is the time to act.