According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, recently, gun-related fatalities have become the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States. Schools, specifically in America, have experienced an uptick in gun violence over the last few years. An elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, experienced a tragic shooting earlier this year, where nineteen children and two teachers were killed and seventeen others were wounded. Just last week, a former student of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri, returned to the high school, killing two people and injuring several more. In addition, these shootings mentally and emotionally scarred the lives of thousands. Gun violence is a significant issue that is continuously rising. It requires extreme attention and effective resolution. The refusal to enact necessary reforms and measures has very clearly had a negative impact on many schools around America.

In June 2022, President Biden signed the landmark Gun Control 2022 Bill into law, which authorized tougher background checks for those purchasing weapons who are under 21, funded security upgrades in schools, along with many other reforms. Even after this, there is still a significant amount of work to do. Possible solutions to reduce gun violence include raising the minimum age requirement for gun ownership, enacting safe firearms storage laws, and more. 

Raising the age restriction for gun ownership is one potential option. The legal age is currently eighteen. Many eighteen-year-olds still attend high school and, on average, it takes the human brain until the mid-20s to completely develop. This indicates that impulsive behavior and poor decisions are common around the age of eighteen, which is why it is unsafe for individuals under the age of 21 to carry guns.

Additionally, laws for the safe storage of firearms should be enforced and adhered to by gun owners. According to the University of Michigan Health Blog, most school shooters obtain their guns from the households in which they live. These households do not properly secure their firearms, which makes it easy for children to get their hands on these weapons. Other solutions are feasible, like crisis prevention school programs, background checks on potential gun owners, and increased school security. For more detailed potential solutions, visit Everytown Research and Policy.

School should never have to be a place where students are fearful for their lives. School should be a place where students go solely for the purpose of getting a quality education. Children and teachers should have the right to feel safe at school. According to the Foundation for Economic Education, because of the increase in school shootings, many parents are hesitant when it comes to the decision between an in-person school or home school. This country needs to take more restrictive measures regarding this matter. Instead of going forth with these concerns, we are going backwards. For example, this past summer, Indiana House Bill 1296 went into effect, which discontinued the need for a permit or a license for an individual to carry a gun in Indiana. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the number of school shootings from the past year to the past two years has risen to its peak in 20 years. Obviously, there is no one solution that could completely solve this problem, but as a country, we must work to reduce the important issue of gun violence in schools in the United States. For more information regarding school shootings and if you’re looking for ways to help, visit sandyhookpromise.org.