The American Gun Violence Crisis

18,854 people died from gun violence in 2023 alone. This is a 52% increase from just nine years ago. The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012 is one of the most documented mass shootings of the 21st century. Just ten years later, there were 646 mass shootings in the United States. At the time of writing, March 26th, the Gun Violence Archive has reported no less than 46 incidents of gun violence nationwide yesterday. While these statistics help us understand how we have a firearm problem in America, turning to the human side helps us recognize the true damage caused by all forms of gun violence each year, because the damage extends far beyond percentages and graphs.

There are more than 1 billion firearms globally, in the hands of militaries and law enforcement officers, the rest being owned privately. But how many do these private individuals own? A whopping 850 million are in private possession. The New York Times describes buying a firearm in the United States in two steps. The first is “[passing] an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence, and immigration status,” which is a preliminary check that Britain, South Africa, New Zealand, and others use. However, they also include the need for character references, proper training, and/or home inspection tests. America, on the other hand, only has two steps — the first previously mentioned and the second, buying a firearm. There are 393 million firearms in the United States, each only needing this quick background check to be purchased (also meaning Americans own nearly half of all private firearms). There must be a correlation with gun violence rates, as Australia, a country with a seven-step process to buy a gun, has 33 times less firearm homicide than the United States.

It isn’t just a problem of purchasing the firearm, either. Ready access to these firearms for the owners and their families means there is a far higher chance of gun violence. The RAND campaign warns that more than two and a half million children in the United States are in a situation where “firearms are stored in a way that makes them most accessible to children.” This number is out of the 22 million total children ages 0-18 with at least one firearm present in their home, but that is still millions of children. And with nearly 10% of children ages 3-17 known to have ADHD (9.8%), anxiety (9.4%), behavioral issues (9.4%), and 4.4% known to have depression, there are millions, if not tens of millions, struggling every day. Those struggling with mental issues, whether they be severe mental illnesses or problems like anxiety or depression represent about 30% of those responsible for mass shootings, creating a problem where people with mental issues, especially adolescents, may have full access to a firearm. And many others live in one of the 40% of households across America with at least one gun.

But what can people do to stop this crisis? Solving a deep-rooted issue like gun violence may take many steps and decades of work – if not more – including recognizing the issue isn’t only ready access to firearms, but lack of help for those struggling with mental illnesses and hardships too. Another less-spoken problem is what Dr. Ragy Girgis of Columbia’s Center of Prevention and Evaluation calls the “cultural romanticization of violence,” from books to movies to video games. He also states that the perpetrators of school shootings and other heavily publicized shootings are “younger males who are often nihilistic, empty, [and] angry.” Girgis speaks of their desire to commit such an act because they feel rejected by society and blame society for rejection. Therefore, committing a mass shooting will “elevate them” to a social status deserved. Dr. Jillian Peterson from Hamline University adds to this by saying many of these shooters experienced heightened “isolation, hopelessness, spending increasing amounts of time online, [and] suicidality” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With these insights on gun violence, namely mass shootings, what is next?

Preventing mass shootings is vital, for those dying at the hands of the perpetrator but also for the perpetrators themselves. Dr. Peterson says that “[shooters] went in to be killed by police, or they went in planning to kill themselves … nobody goes in planning to come out.” One simple preventative measure, she says, is stopping the rampant increase of privately owned firearms. But won’t stop shooters. Other measures can, though, such as safe storage campaigns like The End Family Fire — ‘family fire’ being a term used to describe an “improperly stored or misused gun found in the home,” an aforementioned issue. Wait periods and permits can also help stop troubled individuals from immediately having access to firearms. The American Academy of Pediatrics is just one group advocating for waiting periods before gun purchases to protect children. Many others like The Sandy Hook Promise, Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Giffords are just some additional groups pushing for an end to gun violence via laws, permits, and protests.

But, with all of the statistics and numbers, it can be hard to forget that at its core, gun violence is about the people: troubled by mental health problems, who have ready access to buy a firearm, with a gun readily accessible at home. Those who have taken part in the tens of thousands of passed gun laws in America yet haven’t slowed down rising rates of gun violence. And finally, those affected by gun violence: the ones who tragically passed, who dealt with the losses of their friends and family, and who feel unsafe in spaces that should be safe. From libraries and schools to subways and stores. America needs to take measures to protect people in fear and help those who need it because we can’t continue to let mass shootings, suicides, and homicides happen dozens of times daily. Americans need to work together to advocate for the safety and health of everyone.

Works Cited

Ad Council. “Gun Violence Campaign & Media Assets.” Www.adcouncil.org, http://www.adcouncil.org/campaign/safe-gun-storage#:~:text=Safe%20Gun%20Storage&text=The%20End%20Family%20Fire%20campaign. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

American Academy of Pediatrics. “Waiting Periods for Firearms Purchases.” Www.aap.org, http://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/state-advocacy/waiting-periods-for-firearms-purchases/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Amnesty International. “Gun Violence – Key Facts.” Amnesty.org, 2023, http://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Carlsen, Audrey, and Sahil Chinoy. “How to Buy a Gun in 16 Countries.” The New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/02/world/international-gun-laws.html. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 8 Mar. 2023, http://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Giffords Law Center. “Bulk Gun Purchases.” Giffords, giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/crime-guns/bulk-gun-purchases/#:~:text=Summary%20of%20Federal%20Law. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Girgis, Ragy. “Mass Shootings and Mental Illness.” Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, 6 July 2022, http://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/mass-shootings-and-mental-illness. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Gun Violence Archive. “Gun Violence Archive.” Gunviolencearchive.org, Gun Violence Archive, 21 Apr. 2023, http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Leach-Kemon, Katherine, et al. “On Gun Violence, the United States Is an Outlier.” Www.healthdata.org, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 31 Oct. 2023, http://www.healthdata.org/news-events/insights-blog/acting-data/gun-violence-united-states-outlier#:~:text=US%20ranks%20first.-. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

McBride, Cassandra. “How Many Gun Owners Are in America? (2024 Statistics).” Ammo.com, ammo.com/articles/how-many-gun-owners-in-america#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20there. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Peterson, Jillian. “Speaking of Psychology: How to Stop Mass Shootings, with Jillian Peterson, PhD.” Apa.org, Oct. 2022, http://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/mass-shootings. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Sandy Hook Promise Team. “Our History.” Sandy Hook Promise, http://www.sandyhookpromise.org/who-we-are/about-us/our-history/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

Schuster, Mark, et al. “Guns in the Family: Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes with Children.” Rand.org, 2001, http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB4535.html#:~:text=This%20means%20that%20in%20about,them%20most%20accessible%20to%20children. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.

LUKE FANN

Editor-in-Chief at The City Voice | fann-l@students.grps.org

Editor-in-Chief Luke Fann is a junior at City and freelances for Rapid Growth Media's Voices of Youth program. He also attends Michigan State University's MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop, receiving the Sparty Award in Journalistic Storytelling and the Art of Storytelling. Additionally, he recieved an Award of Excellence in the Level Up: Leadership for Media program in 2025 and earned an honorable mention for his piece on AI and LLMs at the 2024 MIPA Spring Awards.

Luke began writing in 7th grade and became an editor by the following year. By his sophomore year, he was Managing Editor and then Editor-in-Chief. As for writing, he focuses on business and technology news, taking a deeper dive into topics rather than focusing solely on breaking news. He also covers personal interests, and his weekly editorials offer unique takes on timely issues.

If you're interested in writing for The City Voice, especially as a middle schooler or Underclassman, reach out to Luke or attend a meeting. Journalism is a great way to express your passions. No matter your background, The City Voice wants to hear your voice.