Washington D. C., July 03: In a tragic incident that unfolded during the US holiday weekend, a mass shooting occurred at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday, resulting in two deaths and leaving 28 individuals wounded.
Among the injured, approximately half were under the age of 18, while the remaining victims were also under 30, according to local law enforcement.
As of now, no arrests have been made, and the identity of the shooter remains unknown, adding to the urgency of the investigation.
Regrettably, this incident is not an isolated case, as another shooting in Kansas resulted in seven individuals sustaining gunshot wounds, and two more victims were hospitalized after being trampled in the ensuing chaos as people fled a nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning.
These unfortunate incidents highlight the persistent issue of gun violence, often referred to as an “epidemic” in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48,830 people died due to gun-related injuries, in 2021.
In 2022, daily fatalities in the US attributed to gun violence reached alarming figures, averaging 100 deaths and hundreds of injuries each day.
Notably, schools have become increasingly vulnerable to shootings in recent years. In March 2023, a tragic incident unfolded in Nashville, Tennessee, where a school shooting claimed the lives of seven children and left one injured.
Despite the growing demand for stricter gun control measures, successive administrations have failed to effectively address this menace.
Calls from citizens across the nation are growing, demanding Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, implement universal background checks for all gun buyers and end legal protections of gun manufacturers.
Recent surveys indicate that up to 26% of Americans consider guns to be the nation’s top public health threat.
Disturbingly, as of the latest survey, the United States boasts the highest civilian firearms ownership globally, with a total of 393.3 million (33.93 crore) firearms owned by a population of 331.9 million (33.19 crore).
Additionally, illegal firearms remain rampant, although specific estimates are not available.
Last month, following a mass shooting at a mall in Kansas, President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass gun control legislation.
However, the gun lobby, backed by several senators and congressmen, continues to strongly oppose any meaningful gun reform.
The United States Senate passed a historic “gun safety bill” on June 23, 2022, a month after the devastating mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman stormed a school and killed 21 people, among them 19 children.
However, the Democrat-dominated House of Representatives has failed to pass the bill thus far. It faces the looming possibility of being overturned, highlighting the political challenges surrounding gun control.
Critics around the world argue that the United States, which proclaims to champion human rights, is struggling to protect the fundamental right to life of its children.
The severity of the situation is highlighted by a growing proverb worldwide: “You are more likely to get killed by a teenager with a gun in the United States than by a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan“.
Gun control will likely be at center stage in the upcoming 2024 Presidential elections.
