Opinion: Will Lawmakers Ever Hear Our Fear of Gun Violence?

As someone who follows The Washington Post and other news outlets, I am constantly getting notifications and seeing post updates. A few days ago, I saw a post by The Washington Post. It stated that in the past 7 days, there have been 7 mass shootings. 611 shootings in 2022, and the year isn’t even finished yet. Here is a recap of the recent mass shootings which are leaving a destructive impact on our society. 

On November 13th, three UVA students were killed on campus. A class had gone on a field trip to DC, and on the bus ride home, some students observed that one student exhibited unusual behavior and didn’t participate in any of the activities. When the bus returned to campus, the shooter opened fire killing three football players, and injuring two other students. Later it was found that it was a targeted shooting but the underlying motive is unknown. The shooter is now being faced with murder charges and charges of using a handgun in commision of a felony. UVA since has held a vigil, had days off school to process and grieve, and is continuing to rebuild their community.

On November 19th, five people were killed at an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs. 25 others were injured and there were so many gunshots people claim they thought there were multiple gunmen. Two brave people stopped the shooter. The suspect is now being held in police custody and being treated for injuries. The shooter is suspected to have used a long rifle and potentially had other firearms with him. The club’s shooting was a hate attack and police have not found another motive. The club owner plans on reopening in the future but does not have any detailed plan as to when. This tragic hate crime is not the first of its kind. In 2016, the second largest mass shooting in US history took place at a gay club in Orlando. 

On November 22nd, six people were killed in a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. The shooter has been identified as the store manager who ended up commiting suicide on the scene. The victims consist of five adults and one 16-year-old boy, who is not being identified as he is a minor. The 16-year-old was only working this shift to support his family financially, but ended up being killed. How could someone justify that, and how could our government stand by while tragedies like this occur? The shooter was a night shift worker who does not currently have a motive identified but apparently the police are working to identify it. Over 50 people were in the store at the time of the shooting (10:12 pm), and multiple shoppers are sharing the tragic event they witnessed. 

In the total of these three shootings, 14 lives were lost, in the span of nine days. 14 lives were lost because our government won’t create laws to protect the citizens of this country and instead are risking everyone’s safety everytime we walk outside. In the news, we are beginning to hear more about individuals stopping the shooters, could this be a reflection on our police force? Individuals are having to willingly risk their lives to stop gunmen because our country and officials cannot and will not pass laws for our safety. Each time I get a notification alerting me of children being murdered in a school, or a grocery store being attacked, I lose hope in our country. Mass shootings have been increasing in number and intensity in the past decade and who’s to say they will stop. I would like to say that maybe this will be the last of mass shootings. Maybe our country will wake up and put an end to this. I hope for these things to come true, but they won’t if we do not take action and demand change in our laws.