Mass shootings are events in which multiple people are killed by lone individuals. These events are ones of tragedy and are disturbingly common within the United States. While they are simply events of unnecessary harm against others, mass shootings can be broken down into multiple groups of discussion. What can be recognized is that mass shootings are unjustifiable events of harm and impact victims along with their families.

Mandalay Bay shooting on Oct. 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The motive for shootings are complex, varying between multiples situation causing this turn for harm. What is common, however, is that some perpetrators have been motivated by the desire of revenge, notoriety, or grievance. Perpetrators do not have a profile that can be fit and have done these acts at random or without a motive that has been discovered.

Solutions to mass shootings that have been proposed are bans or restrictions on firearms and high-capacity magazines, background checks for people purchasing guns, and increased security in public spaces. However, these are highly controversial and are not entirely proven. While people point to countries like the UK (United Kingdom) and Australia, as they prove that gun restrictions work. Statistics have shown that violent crime has increased after those countries implemented restrictions of firearms. Restrictions of firearms are also unconstitutional as they violate the 2nd Amendment, allowing citizens to keep and bear arms. As for background checks, these are already implemented in the United States. The best overall solution is to increase funding for mental health services and make sure they are publically accessible. This will allow for people who may consider doing these acts of violence to rethink decisions, and will allow mental health professionals to contact proper authorities.

From my perspective, gun control is especially a bad solution as it punishes most gun owners for the actions of a few individuals. Americans would also be left vulnerable since they wouldn’t be able to defend themselves. Additionally, the majority of gun owners are law abiding citizens. Gun laws would only disarm law abiding citizens, leaving them vulnerable for criminals who do not follow laws. These reasons can help show that gun restrictions/gun control is not effective and only serves to make sure people are in more danger.

What is less talked about is the damage that the shootings truly do. In situations where shootings happen, the harm does not end with victims. They often experience PTSD, while people in the communities where the shootings have taken place experience mental health decline. People in the communities feel less safe and are left saddened with the tragedy that takes place. These effects are sometimes life lasting, and can spark new events to happen in rare situations. The pain that is caused is what truly makes mass shootings a devastating and tragic event. While people may want to argue about which side is right, the truly significant factor of shootings is the effect left on others. The most important lesson is to recognize that these are still events of tragedy.