According to Mass Shooting Tracker, there have been 296 known mass shootings in 2015 as of October 3rd. The recent nationally known shooting in Oregon is number 294 on the list followed by two shootings that took place the next day – one in Maryland and one in Florida.
Statistics provided by the New England Journal of Medicine show people with guns in their homes increase the risk of death by homicide by 90%. The American Journal of Public Health found individuals in possession of a gun are 4.5 times more likely to be shot in an assault which debunks the claim that guns keep people safer. Authors have discredited a 1995 study because up to 64% of the gun use cases reported were cases in which the gun was used or carried illegally and the victim turned out to be the aggressor.
Promoting gun regulation laws, President Barack Obama has recently spoken out on the matter following the Oregon shooting. He says “states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths.” Data collected in research backs up his claim yet his claim is still impossible to prove.
Gun control has become a large political issue and shootings – like the Sandy Hook shooting or the Charleston shooting – only fuel the debate and the need for solutions. “This is a political choice that we make,” said President Obama during his speech following the Oregon shooting. His solution seems to lean towards stricter gun laws which doesn’t settle well with Republicans.
Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina practically opposes President Obama, stating strict gun laws make for higher gun crime rates. Donald Trump responded to those who say “we’re going to stop it” by saying they fail to see passing a gun law won’t solve the problem. He spoke on cities with the toughest gun laws in the U.S. -like Chicago- that are doing terribly compared to other places to prove his point.
Gun regulations vary from state to state and even county to county. It is possible to travel out of state to buy a gun legally without going through background checks and waiting periods. Some say in order to reduce the rates of gun violence, gun regulation needs to be a federal proposal so there is no room for loopholes in different areas.
“I am so incredibly grateful that gun control and gun sense are being discussed on the platform that they are in our country because they are such crucial issues,” says former Sandy Hook teacher, Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, in an interview with CNN.
