Another shootout in US school has rekindled gun control debate

The recent mass shooting in a Texas school, which killed 19 children and two teachers, is the eighth such incident in the US this year. The shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde has triggered yet another debate on gun control, which has long been a bone of contention in the country. It has been a popular topic for presidential debates, too.

The US has reasons to be worried when it comes to gun laws and regulations. According to a UNODC small arms survey, as of 2018, 29.7 homicides in a million was by use of a firearm. According to a 2007 survey, the 88.8 civilians per 100 owned firearms.

"I had hoped, when I became president, I would not have to do this, again," a distraught President Joe Biden told AP as he led the national mourning, vowing to overcome the US gun lobby and find a way to tighten gun ownership laws.

"Another massacre... an elementary school. Beautiful, innocent, second, third, fourth graders," he said. "I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don't tell me we can't have an impact on this carnage."

From hate crime and white supremacists acting out, to mental health episodes, there have been several reasons behind gun crimes. But, guns themselves are available freely and easily in the country. Will imposing a ban on personal firearms or making it more difficult to get a gun reduce such instances? One cannot be sure. Here’s a layout of gun ownership and related crimes in numbers.

People who are barred from purchasing guns include those under 18, those with mental illnesses, fugitives on the run and those who have been indicted for a crime punishable by imprisonment of more than one year. All gun purchasers are subjected to a background check. Manufacturing automatic guns for civilian use is illegal in the US. Fully automatic weapons are legal only if made before 1986. Automatic weapons tend to have more restrictions and registration requirements. Semi-automatic guns and non-automatic firearms are generally legal. Some states—California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont—also ban high-capacity ammunition magazines. If a gun is being purchased from someone known to the buyer, then a background check is n0t needed.

According to data from the Centres for Diseases Control (CDC), as of 2020, 53 people are killed each day by a firearm in the US and 79 per cent murders were carried out with guns. According to the FBI, there were 345 "active shooter incidents" in the United States between 2000-2020, resulting in more than 1,024 deaths and 1,828 injuries, a BBC report says. As per a 2014 Gallup poll, 52 per cent of Americans surveyed were in favour of stricter gun laws, while 35 per cent said they should remain the same. At the same time, 91 per cent Democrats wanted stricter gun laws, while only 24 per cent Republicans wanted stricter gun laws.

Over the years, it has been the National Rifle Association (NRA) that has strongly opposed gun control. The NRA has a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy.

The NRA, in January 2022, filed for bankruptcy in a move to shield itself from a fraud case against some of its senior staff. Over the years, the NRA and other organisations have spent more on pro-gun messaging than the gun control lobby.

The deeply ingrained gun culture comes from the fact that the Second Amendment to the US Constitution gives Americans the right to bear arms.

As per a Pew Research report, as of 2021, 63 per cent gun owners cited personal safety as the reason for owning a gun. The figures are skewed when it comes to views on gun violence and race—about 82 per cent black Americans felt that gun control is a big problem, while 39 per cent white adults felt the same way.

Here are some of the most deadly shootings in recent times:

Robb Elementary School, May 2022

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children, two teachers and injuring others, Gov. Greg Abbott said. The shooter died.

Santa Fe High School, May 2018

A 17-year-old opened fire at a Houston-area high school, killing 10 people, most of them students, authorities said. The suspect has been charged with murder.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, February 2018

An attack left 14 students and three staff members dead at the school in Parkland, Florida, and injured many others. The 20-year-old suspect was charged with murder.

Umpqua Community College, October 2015

A man killed nine people at the school in Roseburg, Oregon, wounded nine others, and then killed himself.

Sandy Hook Elementary School, December 2012

A 19-year-old man killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Connecticut, then went to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six educators. He took his own life.

Virginia Tech, April 2007

A 23-year-old student killed 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007; more than two dozen others were wounded. The gunman then killed himself.

Red Lake High School, March 2005

A 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and the man's companion at their Minnesota home, then went to nearby Red Lake High School, where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before shooting himself.

Columbine High School, April 1999

Two students killed 12 of their peers and one teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, and injured many others before killing themselves.

Source: PTI