Two weeks after the catastrophic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Florida which killed 17 people, students returned to classes and were welcomed by members of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association who handed carnations to them as they entered the school.
The non-partisan analysis conducted by the Rand Corporation reveal new estimates based on a review of existing gun policy research, as well as surveys on gun rights and gun control experts. The study revealed that imposing a ban on assault weapons may prevent 170 mass shootings a year in the US. The study also suggests that passing a universal background check law could prevent 1,100 gun homicides a year, while raising the age limit for buying guns and firearms could prevent 1,600 suicides and homicides.
Despite people's expectation of a traditional response of a sales spike in gun sales following the school shooting, the shares in gun manufacturers plummeted. The National Rifle Association (NRA), the pro-gun lobby group which has five million members, is said to have had a history of being feared in America. However, following the recent destructive event, there has been a dramatic turnover where car rental firms, many airlines and other corporate organisations have ended special deals for NRA members. Social media has also been instrumental in pushing business leaders to be more responsive regarding gun laws in the US. Retailer Walmart said it was raising the minimum age for someone buying guns and ammunitions to 21 years, while Dick's Sporting Goods stated that it would no longer sell assault-style rifles and also supported “common sense gun reform”. But is that enough to ensure safety from the widespread prevalence of gun violence?
According to statistics released by Pew Research Center & ATF, 30% of adults in the US personally own a gun, 39% of which are men, 22% women, 36% whites, 24% blacks, and 15% Hispanics.
Furthermore, President Donald Trump allegedly suggesting the idea to arm teachers as a way of preventing school shootings has sparked a sense of uncertainty. The idea of “good guys with guns” will not solve the problem; it can lead to more gun crimes taking place rather than preventing them. On one hand, one may argue that arming teachings can ensure the safety of staff and students if another mass shooting was to occur. On the other hand, the safety of students is questionable as would they really feel safe knowing that the teacher before them is armed with a gun that could be triggered at any given point.
Gun crime is not an alien concept to the UK. According to a report by the London assembly's police and crime committee, the Metropolitan police recorded 2,542 gun crime offences in 2017. This statistic of gun crime in the UK is the highest number in five years and is 44% more than the 1,755 gun crime recorded in 2014. The report also suggested that about a third of the gun crime victims as well as nearly three in five offenders were age 25 or under in the 12 months to October 2017.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, had urged to consider a gun crime strategy in London following a rise in the number of offences, as well as fears that victims and culprits are getting younger.
A tough reform in gun laws globally undoubtedly will prove beneficial to ensure the prevention of further such crimes from taking place. No guns equals to no gun crimes. The less accessible they become, the least likely it will be for someone to be assassinated by a gun or ammunition. Arming more people who are ill-equipped or unauthorised in terms of using arms may most likely lead to further chaos and violence.
