by Leah Korenberg

Within the past 10 years, over 1.2 million Americans have been shot and over 400,000 deaths have occurred due to gun violence. As of August 2025, there have been 328 mass shootings and 109 shootings on school grounds, resulting in 11,212 gun-related deaths this year at time of writing.

The rate of gun deaths in the United States exceeds that of every other country. These ongoing mass shootings serve as a reminder of our government’s failed efforts to end gun violence and ensure the safety of Americans.

“It is scary how easy it is to get your hands on, not just a firearm, but a machine gun that can shoot multiple rounds in a single minute,” Mikeala Clark, a third-year child and adolescent studies major said.

How many more lives need to be taken before the government takes significant action to limit mass shootings and implement laws that create barriers for purchasing a gun? With the United States having more guns than people, with over 400 million, it is evident that lawmakers are prioritizing the Second Amendment over public safety.

Furthermore, gun reforms are an essential safeguard for individuals with mental illnesses. Out of the over 46,000 gun deaths every year, 56.4% are from death by suicide, according to the Giffords Law Center.

Clark also mentioned how the necessary funding of mental health programs and initiatives are intertwined with mass shootings in America, while highlighting the importance of continued funding of mental health services.

“(We need) not only legislation for guns, but legislation and bills and policies for mental health advocacy to ensure that they are funded programs, because things related to mental health are starting to become defunded, and if that becomes defunded, then more people will get their hands on firearms,” Clark said.

Yoselin Chamu, a second-year child and adolescent studies major, mentioned that gun safety begins with gun owners securing their weapons properly to prevent children from gaining access to a gun, which could have fatal consequences.

“If they have children at home, they can [should] have it in a safe spot where children can’t reach, like child-proof protection,” Chamu said.

Steven Galdamez, a fourth-year finance major, expressed that while guns should not be allowed in specific settings where children are present, Americans should still have the right to own and carry a gun in the proper setting.

“​​I do feel that everyone does have the right to protect themselves,” Galdamez said. “So bringing guns around or having a gun in with you, you know, it has a place and time.”

Galdamez also mentioned that mass shootings become sensationalized in the news, but stricter gun reforms never come to fruition.

“It’s just a topic of conversation for about a week or two and then life goes on,” Galdamez said.

Gun violence does not discriminate against age, gender, sexuality, religion or political affiliation. Gun reforms should not remain a divisive political issue when gun violence affects everyone. “Thoughts and prayers” are no longer acceptable when actual steps must be taken to guarantee the lives of the American people.

“Listen to the people that you’re governing, […] so many students are saying, ‘Hey, enough is enough, we shouldn’t have to go to school every day worried about some person with a firearm,’ ” Clark said.