The United States has an excessive problem in gun control and mass shootings that aren’t seen to the same extent in other developed nations. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, 73% of all mass shootings in developed nations from 1998 to 2019 have taken place in the United States.

Just on the Friday before last, 5 people, three 17 year olds and two of them being 18, were arrested for the fatal shooting of a 19 year old inside the Mall of America. Only one person died, but it is frightening that the largest shopping center in America and a tourist destination for millions (especially over the holidays) didn’t have the necessary security to prevent some high schoolers from being armed.

Early in December was the 10 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut. Even now school shootings are still occurring at an alarming rate.

Because of this, some have even proposed the idea to arm teachers. This idea is a terrible one for many reasons, but most importantly because it endangers the children of the school, the people who we are trying to protect. Furthermore most teachers and school faculty aren’t trained properly to be capable of using a firearm without putting the lives of children at risk.

Most of school shooters tend to be only 18 or 19 years old, which is why some states, such as Connecticut are enhancing restrictions on the usage of firearms. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy made this statement in response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May. In this interview Murphy brings up the point that the legal age for firearms may be better off being 21 than 18.

18 year olds in the United States can’t even legally drink alcohol. Why should they be able to buy and use a firearm? In any case, even if they are able to use firearms, there should be more background checks that go in to who has a gun and who shouldn’t have one. Many mass shooters have some sort of mental disease or incapability. Finding these people before they get their hands on deadly weapons could prevent such tragedies such as Sandy Hook and Uvalde.

This is an ongoing debate with no clear solution.

What are your thoughts?